Lina Munsterhjelm & Annika Seppälä 30.9.2008 Aquatic Plants Lina Munsterhjelm & Annika Seppälä 30.9.2008

Aquatic Plants Are plants that have adapted to living in or on aquatic environments Aquatic vascular plants can be ferns or angiosperms Algae are not plants! Produce oxygen in to water systems http://www.kolumbus.fi/markku.yntala/VALOKUVAT/KASVITHAK/KUKHAK/xxx23.gif

Some plants grow under water, some float on the surface and some have aerial stems Hydrophytes have smaller need to regulate transpiration due to the abundance of water in its environment Aquatic plants require numerous special adaptations

Characteristics of hydrophytes: A thin cuticle Stomata that are open most of the time An increased number of stomata A less rigid structure Flat leaves and air sacs for flotation Smaller and feathery roots Specialized roots able to take in oxygen

Aquatic plants in Finland 112 species (83 actual aquatic plants and 29 aerial stems) The number of species decreases gradually when going from south to north Plants have to adapt to Finnish winter (low water temperature and freezing)

Aquatic plant life forms

Aquatic plants with aireal stems Common reed, water horsetail, bulrush http://www.kolumbus.fi/markku.yntala/VALOKUVAT/KASVITHAK/SAMMALHAK/jarvikorte.jpg http://www.webkasvio.fi/kuvat/48_200.jpg

Leaves under water 2. Water milfoil, perfoliate pondweed, Canadian waterweed http://kati.tiuhti.net/valokuvia/Vesiotokat/Akvaario/2.php http://www.ruoko.fi/index.php?page=kasvit

Floating leaves 3. Yellow waterlily, water-lily, broad-leaved pondweed http://www.ymparisto.fi/download.asp?contentid=68007 http://www.cartinafinland.fi/luontokuvia/images/lumme.jpg

Under water sprouts 4. Quillwort family, water lobelia https://www-hotel1.it.helsinki.fi/~ekuva/virtuaalikasvio/plant.php?id=4816 http://lh6.ggpht.com/_iPwm_--lkWA/RrY3y3VEFyI/AAAAAAAACBg/XhP_WILJ8B8/IMG_1227.JPG

Free floaters 5. Duckweed, frogbit

6. Rigid hornwort, common bladderwort http://www.luontokuvateskonen.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=1091

Water mosses 7. Peat moss http://images.google.fi/imgres?imgurl=http://www.cygnnet.jkl.fi/koulut/viitaniemi/virtuaalilajisto/visakas/ka01.JPG&imgrefurl=http://www.cygnnet.jkl.fi/koulut/viitaniemi/virtuaalilajisto/visakas/Rantakasv.htm&h=425&w=425&sz=90&hl=fi&start=7&um=1&usg=__0pTFXGIEBeMOc29E0ws9U_QDSTQ=&tbnid=HMmLLF_K9Sk8BM:&tbnh=126&tbnw=126&prev=/images%3Fq%3Drahkasammal%26um%3D1%26hl%3Dfi

Aquatic plants in Baltic sea There is brackish water in Baltic sea -> fresh and salt water plants Plants have to adapt the diversity of the salt gradient Species and the variety of them changes with the salt gradient

Right answers 1. Pond water-crowfoot = järvisätkin 2. Broad-leaved pondweed = uistinvita 3. Water horsetail = järvikorte 4. Common reed = järviruoko 5. Perfoliate pondweed = ahvenvita 6. Yellow waterlily = ulpukka 7. Water-lily = lumme 8. Duck weed = limaska

Thanks