What is the structure that is pushed by the wind in arid, steppe-like environments?
Q: What is the structure that is pushed by the wind in arid, steppe-like environments?
A: The structure that is pushed by the wind in arid, steppe-like environments is usually called tumbleweed.
Q: What parts of the plant are typically found in a tumbleweed?
A: In most species of tumbleweed, the entire plant apart from its root system will be present. Sometimes only a hollow fruit or inflorescence detaches.
Q: Why must most tissues of a tumbleweed structure be dead?
A: Most tissues of a tumbleweed structure must be dead so that it can degrade and fall apart during tumbling, allowing its seeds or spores to escape.
Q: How do some species of tumbleweeds disperse their seeds?
A: Some species of tumbleweeds disperse their seeds when they swell and open mechanically after coming to rest in a wet location.
Q: Is this strategy limited to seed plants?
A: No, this strategy is not limited to seed plants; some species of spore-bearing cryptogams—such as Selaginella—form tumbleweeds, and some fungi that resemble puffballs dry out, break free of their attachments and are similarly tumbled by the wind, dispersing spores as they go.
Q: Where do these types of plants occur most commonly?
A: These types of plants occur most commonly in steppe and arid ecosystems where frequent winds and an open environment permit rolling easily.
Q: What does diaspore dispersal refer to?
A: Diaspore dispersal refers to the process whereby organisms disperse their seeds or spores through tumbling with the help of wind.
