The LA Times
Nov 28, 2006

To survive, humans and animals need food, water, shelter and protection from danger. Do plants have the same needs?

Sure. But there is a difference in how they satisfy their needs. Humans and animals have the ability to move to other locations. But plants can't do this because they are rooted to the ground.
When the weather shifts from extremes of hot to cold, a plant can't go elsewhere to find shelter. It can't travel to another site in search of more nutrients in the soil. And it can't protect itself against injury by escaping to a safe place.

A plant has no choice but to adapt to its surroundings. And the challenges and solutions won't be the same for a plant that lives in the desert compared with a plant that lives in the mountains or by the sea.
One plant may have roots that go deep into the soil, while another has a shallow root system that absorbs water and nutrients closer to the surface. The leaves on one plant may grow in such a way as to better absorb the sun's rays, while another has leaves that shade it from the sun's heat.

The prickly pear cactus shown here was illustrated by Cassidy, 11. It has sharp spines, prickles and thorns that protect it from injury from larger mammals, reptiles and birds.

If you were a plant living in your neighborhood, imagine how you would survive without shelter, how you would get your food and water and how you would protect yourself.

Carol Felixson is director of education/community outreach for UCLA's Stunt Ranch Santa Monica Mountains Reserve and Mildred E. Mathias Botanical Garden. To learn more about kids and nature, and UCLA's environmental education programs, go to nrs.ucop.edu/reserves/stunt.html and http://www.botgard.ucla.edu .