What conditions are necessary for plant life? Conditions necessary for the growth and development of plants

Plants are our green friends. They deservedly got such a name, because for humans and animals, the flora and its components are a source of nutrition, materials for domestic needs, medicines, the main regulator of the purity of atmospheric air, and so on.

To date, there are over 350,000 different plant species. All of them have unique morphological and genetic features, they please us with splendor and multicolor, they bring real aesthetic pleasure. At the same time, their life forms may be different, but always important, unique and beautiful. And their existence is directly influenced by the conditions necessary for plant life.

Life forms of plants

This classification can be cited from the point of view of different sciences: taxonomy and ecology. We are more interested in systematic, since it is based on external signs of plants. From this position, the entire realm of the flora can be divided into groups that have evolved evolutionally, and which are influenced by plant life conditions.

1. Trees - the trunk is clearly pronounced, the height is not less than two meters.
2. Shrubs - from 50 cm to 2 m in height, several trunks extending from the ground itself.
3. Shrubs - are formed from the previous form, but the size is up to 50 cm.
4. Semishrubs - formed from the forms of shrubs, but the upper parts of multiple trunks died off.
5. Herbs are stunted plants that freeze their aerial shoots during the winter.
6. Lianas - characterized by branching and creeping stems, equipped with hooks, antennae and other clinging devices.
7. Succulents are plants that can store a large amount of water in the stem and leaves.

What conditions are necessary for the life of plants of each of these groups? Let us consider them in more detail.

Ecological factors as a condition of plant life

These include the following.

1. Abiotic:

• sunlight;
• Moisture (water);
• Temperature regime;
• food.

2. Biotic: all living organisms that surround this plant (animals, microorganisms, fungi).

3. Anthropogenic - the influence of man and his activities in various branches of life and industry.

What conditions are necessary for plant life most of all? That is which of the above factors are the determining factors? This question is difficult to answer. Only their combined competent combination allows plants to feel as comfortable, safe and fast growing, developing and multiplying.

Effect of light

The most important difference between plant organisms and all others is the autotrophic way of feeding. That is, the ability to convert the energy of solar rays into the energy of chemical bonds, contained in the formed organic compounds. This whole complex biochemical process, constructed from two phases, is called photosynthesis. The product of such transformations is starch as a spare plant nutrient and oxygen gas - as a source of life on our planet.

It becomes obvious that without photosynthesis there would be no life. And without sunlight there will not be this process. Hence, the energy of natural solar radiation and additional sources of illumination are the conditions necessary for the growth and development of plants. The role of these factors is decisive.

In relation to light, several groups of organisms can be distinguished.

1. Shadow plants. Such representatives do not tolerate direct sunlight, they have very scattered low light. For example, a significant part of the forest grasses, covered under the shade of trees - sour, miniature, lumbago, saxifrage, hohlatka, snowdrop, gill, sparse, ivy, eagle, celandine and others.
2. Shadow-tolerant. These plants prefer moderate lighting and are tolerant enough even for prolonged darkening. However, sunlight is still loved and reacts positively to short exposure to direct sunlight. These are, for example, currants, lily of the valley, blueberries, elderberries, red bilberries, kupena, cuffs and others.
3. Photophilous - plants that most need bright bright sunlight. Only under such conditions does the process of photosynthesis take place as quickly and completely as possible. Examples: mother-and-stepmother, clover, lavender, immortelle, melissa, lotuses, water lilies, cereals, cacti, most of the trees and others.

So what do plants need for life in the first place? Sunlight, which is the source of the main plant process - photosynthesis.

Value of water

Hydrogen dioxide is the most important substance in the life of not only plants, but also all living things on the planet. It is known that life on Earth became possible due to the presence of liquid water. Therefore, it is difficult to overestimate its significance. A universal solvent in which all biochemical reactions of a living organism flow, it is an integral structural part, a component of each cell.

The importance of water for plant life is no less important than sunlight. After all, water creates a turgor pressure on the cell walls, it is in it that all the compounds are transported, it is a medium for chemical reactions. In short, for plants, water is the source of vitality.

Not all representatives of the flora are equally related to water and its quantity. So, we can distinguish three main ecological groups of plants in relation to hydrogen oxide.

1. Xerophytes - the inhabitants of the most arid regions, which managed to adapt to a lack of moisture. Examples: desert and semi-desert plants, inhabitants of sea coasts. Eschsolcia, cacti, wheatgrass, sandstone, bryophyllum, camel thorn and so on.
2. Mesophytes - inhabitants of places with a moderate water content. These are meadow plants, forest inhabitants. Normally refer to moistened soil, but do not tolerate excessive moisture or drought. Timofeyevka, chamomile, cornflowers, a bloodlet, a lyubka, a lilac, a hazel, a clover, a lungwort, a goldenrod, all deciduous trees and shrubs.
3. Hydrophytes . Such plants feel best when they are partially submerged in water (fresh, salty) or completely in it. Examples: algae, water buttercups, hornworts, water lilies, paedonia, pondy, altemia, naiads and others.

So, what are the conditions necessary for plant life? Water is on their list.

The role of temperature

Warm days for all living beings are a joy. However, among the plants there are also those that take out low temperatures easily enough. All representatives of the flora in relation to this factor can be divided into three groups.

1. Heat-loving . The conditions necessary for the life of the plants in this group are the temperature index not lower than +5 ^° C. The optimum option for them is about + 25-26 ^° C. Such plants do not tolerate sudden fluctuations in air temperature, they can not stand even light frosts. Examples: rice, cotton, cocoa, palm, bananas, almost all tropical and subtropical inhabitants.
2. Cold-resistant plants. They prefer moderate temperatures, but are able to tolerate rather low temperatures, survive freezing without damage. Examples: potatoes, all root crops, greens, many kinds of cruciferous, cereal crops and others.
3. Frost-resistant . Capable of hibernating under a snow blanket, preserving vitality. Examples include such garden plants as rhubarb, perennials onions, garlic, sorrel and others.

Conclusion: the temperature regime is an important condition for the normal growth and development of all plants on Earth.

Mineral nutrition

This factor is extremely important for fruit, berry, fruit and vegetable crops, cultivated by humans. After all, in natural conditions, plants inhabit such habitats, to which they are able to adapt. Including the content of mineral salts in soils.

But cultural representatives need help. Each owner knows which complex of mineral fertilizers should be introduced for a particular plant in order to obtain the required yield.

In general, minerals are an important element of nutrition for all individuals, which are absorbed by plants from the soil by suction with water. But for plants, the excess of fertilizers is damaging, and their lack leads to slow growth and poor harvest.

Composition of air

What conditions are necessary for the life of plants, in addition to those considered above? Important is also the composition of air. In fact, at night, plants, just like other living things, breathe, consuming oxygen. Therefore, it should be sufficient in the air for their normal development. This means that in conditions of an increased concentration of harmful gases, dust, fungi and microorganisms, plants will feel extremely bad.

Biotic factors and their influence

We examined all the abiotic factors of plant life. Heat, light, air, water are the main and inalienable conditions for their normal growth and development.

Biotic factors are the impact on them of the surrounding biomass, that is, other plants, animals, fungi, insects and so on. To consider all aspects of the impact of these conditions, the science of ecology was created. It should only be noted that biotic factors are no less important than abiotic factors.

The main conditions for the life of houseplants

The environmental conditions necessary for the life of houseplants are no different from those that we considered for everyone in general. They also need sunlight, warmth, water, mineral nutrition, protection from harmful insects.

To make pot flowers feel good and look beautiful, you should approach them individually, taking into account the peculiarities of a particular genus and plant species.