characteristics of aquatic angiosperms (5)

- herbaceous & woody species - in lentic & lotic habitats - can be partially to fully submerged with some floating - aquatic flowering plants - some species are heterophylly

describe aquatic plant zonation

3 zones - emergent (eg water mint), floating leaf plants (eg. water lilies) & submerged (eg bladderworts) vegetation zonation reflects the plants reponse to water levels

describe seed dispersal in aquatic angiosperms

4 methods of seed dispersal- wind, animal, hydrochory (rain or flood) and gravity dispersal (seed drops to sediment)

describe sexual pollination in aquatic angiosperms

3 methods pollen (can't get wet) - dry epihydrophily - pollen transported above water surface - wet epihydrophily - pollen transported on water surface - hypohydrophily - pollen transported beneath water surface

adaptations of aquatic angiosperms (4)

- seeds float - heterophylly - leaf shape (ribbon shape increases surface area) - strong roots as to not be washed away

define aquatic plants

plants growing in water or on substrate that's periodically oxygen deficient as a result of water saturation

importance of aquatic plants to aquatic ecosystems (5)

- habitat structure - release CO2 into water - principal primary producers - improve water quality - influence water chemistry (nutrient sinks & pumps)