Sydney Green Wattle Adaptations and Benefits
Adaptation 1:
One adaptation the Sydney Green Wattle inherits is using their leaves to send a message to other plants that herbivores are feeding on them by releasing ethylene gas. Leaves on a Sydney green wattle contain a chemical that is quite distasteful as a protection against herbivores. By releasing this gas, they also fill up their leaves with a certain poison. The ethylene gas then is released through the leaves’ pores. This poison prevents herbivores from further feeding on the plant, which results in the green wattle not being consumed. Other wattles from as far as fifty yards can detect this gas spread, and once they do, they too start to produce poison and distribute it to their leaves.
Benefits from this Adaptation:
The benefits of having communication between plants as well as being able to release ethylene gas and manufacturing poison, allows the Sydney Green Wattle to protect itself from being consumed by any herbivores in their environment. Without this adaptation, wattles are at risk of being consumed on a regular basis and also do not have a way of communicating to each other when they are placed in danger of being consumed.
Benefits from this Adaptation:
The benefits of having communication between plants as well as being able to release ethylene gas and manufacturing poison, allows the Sydney Green Wattle to protect itself from being consumed by any herbivores in their environment. Without this adaptation, wattles are at risk of being consumed on a regular basis and also do not have a way of communicating to each other when they are placed in danger of being consumed.
Adaptation 2:
Another adaptation the Sydney Green Wattle inherits is that all types of wattles contain a series of seed banks that contain epicormic buds. These seed banks are located under the trunk of wattles where previous seeds have dropped and once a fire has passed through and burnt the plant or the tree, the seeds stop secreting hormones as they have been damaged and start to open up a few days after the fire after being dormant. These seeds then are exposed to burnt material of ash which supplies them with the nutrients that are needed for them to be able to germinate effectively. After these seeds have been germinated successfully, they start to shoot rapidly, and help protect the wattles from death.
Picture 1: Germinated epicormic bud starts to shoot
Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/image/286524-3x2-940x627.jpg
Picture 2: After epicormic buds have grown maturely
Source: http://plantsinaction.science.uq.edu.au/edition1//?q=files/imagecache/figure-thumb/plate74-combined.jpg
Picture 3: An example of a bud shooting out after a tree has been burnt.
Source: http://chilliwebsites.com/clientfiles/x19md/files/4564/Image/fire%20adapt%202.png
Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/image/286524-3x2-940x627.jpg
Picture 2: After epicormic buds have grown maturely
Source: http://plantsinaction.science.uq.edu.au/edition1//?q=files/imagecache/figure-thumb/plate74-combined.jpg
Picture 3: An example of a bud shooting out after a tree has been burnt.
Source: http://chilliwebsites.com/clientfiles/x19md/files/4564/Image/fire%20adapt%202.png
Benefits of this Adaptation:
The other benefits of having seed banks dormant underneath the soil in Sydney Green Wattle is that it allows them to survive through blazing fires. Most plants without this adaptation would be burnt and turned into ash, whilst green wattles have epicormics buds that allow the plant to survive because these seed banks that contain epicormics buds are adapted to become damaged in order to start to shoot and germinate from under the soil or from a tree. Without this adaptation, Sydney Green Wattles become vulnerable towards bush fires and would die if caught on fire as there are no seeds to help restore its health after the fire.
The other benefits of having seed banks dormant underneath the soil in Sydney Green Wattle is that it allows them to survive through blazing fires. Most plants without this adaptation would be burnt and turned into ash, whilst green wattles have epicormics buds that allow the plant to survive because these seed banks that contain epicormics buds are adapted to become damaged in order to start to shoot and germinate from under the soil or from a tree. Without this adaptation, Sydney Green Wattles become vulnerable towards bush fires and would die if caught on fire as there are no seeds to help restore its health after the fire.