Exam 29: Plant Diversity I: How Plants Colonized Land

What is thought to be the correct sequence of the following events during the Carboniferous period? 1)vascular plants become more prevalent 2)megaphylls with large surface areas become more prevalent 3)atmospheric CO₂ levels decline by a factor of five 4)global cooling occurs, leading to widespread glaciations

Big Bend National Park in Texas is mostly Chihuahuan desert, where rainfall averages about 10 inches per year. Yet, it is not uncommon when hiking in this bone-dry desert to encounter mosses and ferns. One such plant is called "flower of stone." It is not a flowering plant, nor does it produce seeds. Under arid conditions, its leaflike structures curl up. However, when it rains, it unfurls its leaves, which form a bright green rosette on the desert floor. Consequently, it is sometimes called the "resurrection plant." At first glance, it could be a fern, a true moss, or a spike moss. -Upon closer inspection of the leaves of flower of stone, one can observe tiny, cone-like structures. Each cone-like structure emits spores of two different sizes. Consequently, flower of stone should be expected to possess which other characteristics? 1)a gametophyte generation that is dominant 2)lignified vascular tissues 3)microphylls 4)filamentous rhizoids, but not true roots 5)spores that are diploid when mature

The following are all adaptations to life on land except

Big Bend National Park in Texas is mostly Chihuahuan desert, where rainfall averages about 10 inches per year. Yet, it is not uncommon when hiking in this bone-dry desert to encounter mosses and ferns. One such plant is called "flower of stone." It is not a flowering plant, nor does it produce seeds. Under arid conditions, its leaflike structures curl up. However, when it rains, it unfurls its leaves, which form a bright green rosette on the desert floor. Consequently, it is sometimes called the "resurrection plant." At first glance, it could be a fern, a true moss, or a spike moss. -In which combination of locations would one who is searching for the gametophytes of flower of stone have the best chance of finding them? 1)moist soil 2)underground, nourished there by symbiotic fungi 3)south- or west-facing slopes 4)permanently shady places 5)far from any flower of stone sporophytes

Figure 29.3 -Which of the following should be most helpful in distinguishing the clades depicted on the tree in Figure 29.3 from each other?

Some green algae exhibit alternation of generations. All land plants exhibit alternation of generations. No charophytes exhibit alternation of generations. Keeping in mind the recent evidence from molecular systematics, the correct interpretation of these observations is that

If you are looking for structures that transfer water and nutrients from a bryophyte gametophyte to a bryophyte sporophyte, then on which part of the sporophyte should you focus your attention?

Considering that the mature sporophytes of true mosses get their nutrition from the gametophytes on which they grow, and considering these generations as individual plants, what is true of the relationship between true moss sporophytes and gametophytes?

A botanist discovers a new species of plant in a tropical rain forest. After observing its anatomy and life cycle, he notes the following characteristics: flagellated sperm, xylem with tracheids, separate gametophyte and sporophyte generations with the sporophyte dominant, and no seeds. This plant is probably most closely related to

Which of the following were probably factors that permitted early plants to successfully colonize land? 1)the relative number of potential predators (herbivores) 2)the relative number of competitors 3)the relative availability of symbiotic partners 4)air's relative lack of support, compared to water's support

Which of these potential results of applying a metabolic poison to the rhizoids of Polytrichum should interfere the least with the ability to draw valid conclusions from this experiment?

Big Bend National Park in Texas is mostly Chihuahuan desert, where rainfall averages about 10 inches per year. Yet, it is not uncommon when hiking in this bone-dry desert to encounter mosses and ferns. One such plant is called "flower of stone." It is not a flowering plant, nor does it produce seeds. Under arid conditions, its leaflike structures curl up. However, when it rains, it unfurls its leaves, which form a bright green rosette on the desert floor. Consequently, it is sometimes called the "resurrection plant." At first glance, it could be a fern, a true moss, or a spike moss. -Upon closer inspection of the leaves of flower of stone, one can observe tiny, cone-like structures. Each cone-like structure emits spores of two different sizes. Based on this information, which of the following can be properly inferred about flower of stone? 1)It is heterosporous. 2)It is a fern. 3)The cone-like structures are sori. 4)It is a lycophyte. 5)It has separate male and female gametophytes.

Big Bend National Park in Texas is mostly Chihuahuan desert, where rainfall averages about 10 inches per year. Yet, it is not uncommon when hiking in this bone-dry desert to encounter mosses and ferns. One such plant is called "flower of stone." It is not a flowering plant, nor does it produce seeds. Under arid conditions, its leaflike structures curl up. However, when it rains, it unfurls its leaves, which form a bright green rosette on the desert floor. Consequently, it is sometimes called the "resurrection plant." At first glance, it could be a fern, a true moss, or a spike moss. -What feature of both true mosses and ferns makes it most surprising that they can survive for many generations in dry deserts?

Refer to the following information to answer the next few questions. Researchers decided to test the hypothesis that if the 2-m tall Polytrichum gametophyte-sporophyte plants had acted as a physical buffer, then they would have reduced water's ability to erode the soil and carry away its nitrogen. They began with four equal-sized areas where Polytrichum mosses grew to a height of 2 m above the soil surface. One of the four areas was not modified. In the second area, the mosses were trimmed to a height of 1 m above the soil surface. In the third area, the mosses were trimmed to a height of 0.5 m above the soil surface. In the fourth area, the mosses were trimmed all the way to the ground, leaving only the rhizoids. Water, simulating rainfall, was then added in a controlled fashion to all plots over the course of one year. Figure 29.2 presents four graphs that depict potential results of this experiment. Figure 29.2 -Which graph of soil nitrogen loss over time in Figure 29.2 most strongly supports the hypothesis that if the 2-m tall Polytrichum gametophyte-sporophyte plants had acted as a physical buffer, then they would have reduced water's ability to erode the soil and carry away its nitrogen?