25 Air Plants-High

Air Plants FOCUS Question How do some plants live without soil?

What All Plants Need There are many different kinds of plants, from tall, swaying palms to tiny moss growing on a rock. Big or small, thick or thin, all plants need light, air, water, nutrients, and space to grow. Plants use light energy from the Sun for photosynthesis. During this process, plants take carbon dioxide (KAR-bun dy-OK-side) from the air. The carbon dioxide combines with water and forms sugar and oxygen. The sugar is what plants use to grow and develop. The plants release the oxygen into the air.

Plants use water to make food. They also use water to move food and nutrients. Water carries sugar made in the leaves down to the roots. Water also carries nutrients from the roots up to the leaves. All plants need nutrients to stay healthy. Most plants get nutrients and water from soil. The soil also helps to keep them anchored, or held firmly, in the ground so that they do not fall over. No matter how big or small, plants also need room to grow. If they are too close to other plants, they may not get enough light, water, or nutrients.

Life Above the Ground In a rainforest, the forest floor is very crowded. Many plants are trying to grow in the same place. High above the forest floor, it is less crowded. Air plants, also called epiphytes (EH-pih-fites), grow high up on trees. There are fewer plants to block the sunlight, and there is more space to grow. Air plants, however, do not have roots in the soil to collect water and nutrients. So how do they survive? Math Moment There are approximately 30,000 species of epiphyte plants in the world. If half of those live in rainforests, how many epiphyte species are found in other environments?

Some air plants collect water from moisture in the air. They have scales on their leaves that can absorb water. Think of them as a dry sponge hanging over a steamy shower. Other air plants have structures that help them collect rain. Their leaves are shaped to form bowls. When it rains, water collects in the bowls. Air plants get nutrients from the nooks and cracks in the trees where they grow. Leaves and other debris collect in these spaces. Over time, the leaves rot, making nutrients for the air plant. Air plants can also absorb some nutrients from rainwater.

Parasites or Not? Some kinds of plants are parasites. This means that they take nutrients from other plants that they live on. For example, the roots of mistletoe plants burrow into tree branches. Then they absorb water and nutrients from the host plant. Air plants are not parasites. They do not hurt the plants they live on. They use the plants they are growing on only for support. Air plants get water from the air or rain, and nutrients from debris around them.