Week 7 Discussion Assignment_
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University Of Arizona *
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170A
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Geography
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Apr 3, 2024
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docx
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Week 7 Discussion Assignment: Sonoran Biogeography
For this assignment, you’ll learn about some local (and one introduced) plant species, and how they’re specifically adapted to arid environments. Like with the Week 4 Discussion Assignment, you’ll walk around with your discussion instructor to learn about these plants during your discussion section.
1. Is the Canary Island pine native to the Sonoran Desert? What adaptations
allow it to persist in the Sonoran Desert unlike other pine species? (4 points)
The Canary Island is not native to the Sonoran Desert. The adaptations that allow it to persist in the Sonoran Desert unlike other pine species is that they are used to very dry environments, they are fire resistant, and they are used to growing in poor soil which allows them to grow better in the desert. 2. What does it mean when we say that the Canary Island pine is “evergreen”? (2 points)
When we say that the Canary Island pine is evergreen, we mean that it does not lose its green color. 3. Which plants on your walk had photosynthetic trunks? Why is this an adaptation to arid environments like the Sonoran Desert? (3 points)
Plants on my walk that had photosynthetic trunks are palo verdes. This is an adaptation to arid environments like the Sonoran Desert because they are also very tolerable to dry weather and soil. They also have very shallow roots which allows them to take in water fast and easily. 4. How are the rooting strategies of mesquites and saguaros different? (4 points)
The rooting strategies of mesquites and saguaros are different because mesquites have very deep roots so they are able to access deeper water sources, whereas saguaros have more shallow roots which allows them to access and take in water quickly. 5. How are thorns and spines different? Which plants along your walk possessed thorns, and which possessed spines? (4 points)
Thorns and spines are different because thorns usually come from some sort of branch and spines usually come from some sort of plant/leaf. Plants along my walk that possessed thorns were Catclaw Acacia and plants
that possessed spines were cactus. 6. What makes creosote so resilient to extremely arid conditions? (3 points)
Creosote is so resilient to arid conditions because of its tolerance to dry weather and the way it uses its water. Its leaves are covered in a waxy coating which minimizes water loss and allows it to survive in certain conditions. 7. What is a nurse plant? Which of the plants on your walk can act as nurse plants for young saguaros? (3 points)
A nurse plant is a larger plant that helps smaller plants survive whether its providing shade or helping with moisture. Plants that can act as nurse plants for young saguaros are mesquite trees and palo verde trees. 8. Which plants on your walk were deciduous? What conditions tend to lead these plants to drop their leaves? (4 points)
Some plants that were deciduous were Mesquite trees. The conditions
that tend to lead these plants to drop their leaves are limited water (drought) and seasonal changes. 9. What is the only location in the world where saguaros grow naturally? (3 points)
The only location in the world where saguaros grow naturally is the Sonoran Desert, which is part of the southwestern United States and northwestern Mexico.
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