Tag: epiphytes

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How a Delicate Root Can Penetrate Hard Rock

How a Delicate Root Can Penetrate Hard Rock

We have all seen plants growing through cracks in concrete or bedrock and wondered how a delicate root can penetrate hard rock. Recent research has shown that the root jackhammer process is highly complex.

In a paper published in the journal Current Biology, a group of researchers discovered some of the secrets of how a delicate root can penetrate hard rock. For one thing, the optimum angle for the root tip to attack is 90 degrees. Striking the hard object at a different angle could cause the root to deflect. A protein called OsAUX1 keeps the root tip pointed down.

Another way that roots are similar to a jackhammer is that the root hairs provide an anchor for the root, and OsAUX1 causes more root hairs to grow. If you have ever seen a worker using a jackhammer, you know that someone has to hold it tight, or it will bounce on the material’s surface instead of penetrating.

Another protein that helps explain how a delicate root can penetrate hard rock is PIEZO1. If the root continued to grow quickly when it contacts a rigid material, it would likely bend or break. PIEZO1 signals the root to slow down when it encounters a hard barrier. This “touch-sensitive” protein shows more engineering involved in root growth. In all, 14 proteins, plus genes, promoters, hormones, and tissues enable roots to perform their amazing stunts.

The importance of this design is Earth-shattering, or should we say rock-shattering. It explains how soil is produced in an area where rock dominates Earth’s surface, as in a lava flow or an intrusive rock like granite. The process is like a jackhammer in which root caps use weaknesses in the host rock to penetrate and break the rock into smaller pieces so plants can secure the nutrients they need.

Some plants in unusual environments don’t use roots in the same way. Plants living in ocean environments or along sand bars, such as mangroves, have a different process to sustain themselves. Air ferns and epiphytes don’t have the same kind of root system as a maple tree. The diversity of plant life and how each type of plant handles its environment is a great testimony to design and the wisdom of the Creator.

— John N. Clayton © 2024
Reference: Evolution News & Science Today

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Incredible Diversity of Plants

Incredible Diversity of Plants

We often take plants for granted, but their design has allowed animal and human life to exist and offers great hope for the future. We are amazed at the incredible diversity of plants.

Plants not only sustain life on the land but also in the oceans. Seagrass meadows exist all over the planet. Studies in England have shown that 92% of seagrass meadows have disappeared due to pollution, industrial development, and other threats. That has led to a decline in fish and shellfish populations. Yesterday we talked about seahorses, which depend on seagrass for food and protection. The World Wildlife Federation has begun a project called Seagrass Ocean Rescue to reverse the damage by collecting seeds and replanting them in huge plots. The project has protected shorelines and provided nursing grounds for countless species in the hope that coastal life will rebound.

The redwood and sequoia trees that grow in California are very different plant designs. Those giant trees bring water into what would otherwise be a very dry area. The redwoods and sequoias can extract water from fog and rain because of their size, providing a rich soil ecology for other plants. A giant sequoia will weigh around 640 tons – equal to about 107 elephants. They can grow to heights over 300 feet and live for well over 3000 years. You can find information about California’s 1.6 million acres of redwoods and the 48,000 acres that depend on the giant sequoias at www.savetheredwoods.org.

Because of the incredible diversity of plants, we find them growing underwater and in deserts, but some plants known as epiphytes grow in the air. They have exposed roots that pick up moisture and nutrients from the perspective, and they are a food source for many organisms. Closely related are water plants that don’t need soil but can use the nutrients released by fish and other animals that live in oceans and lakes.

Science has developed new aquaponics and hydroponics methods to grow plants in water to produce food for people. In aquaponics, the plants receive their nutrients from the waste products of fish living in the water. In hydroponics, the plants receive their nutrients artificially.

We find plants of all kinds growing everywhere, and because of that, animals can live everywhere. With creative agricultural practices, we can produce enough food to feed the growing human population. Our geologic studies show us that, from the beginning, plants have provided the oxygen that we breathe while removing the carbon dioxide we produce. The plant diversity God has given us makes it possible to produce food, remove pollutants, and recycle carbon. Without the incredible diversity of plants, animal and human life would not be possible.

— John N. Clayton © 2020