Ninja Plants: Survival and Adaptation in the Plant World
()
About this ebook
What can communicate but has no mouth, and can attack but has no hands? A plant! You might love the beauty and fragrance of flowers, but plants are far more complex than meets the eye. Some plants have ways of luring insects for pollination. Others mimic the look of the female insects whose male counterparts they want to attract. The Venus flytrap eats insects and other small animals for extra nourishment. You might see some of these ninja plants—with their sneaky and deceitful ways—in your own backyard. These plants might even be sitting on a windowsill in your home. This fascinating world of ninja plants is waiting to be discovered.
Wiley Blevins
Wiley Blevins has written more than 70 books for children, as well as created reading programs for schools in the US and Asia. Wiley currently lives and writes in New York City.
Read more from Wiley Blevins
Short Vowels Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDigraphs and Blends Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Princess and the Poison Pea Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Long Vowels Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDuck, Duck, Goose Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsComplex Vowels Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDragon and His Grandmother Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsColors All Around Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMilitary Animals Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsConsonants Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAnimal Detectives Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPeople Up Close Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMore Consonants Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsStructures Up Close Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDinner of Doom Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsNear or Far Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLet's Find Wheels and Axles Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Related to Ninja Plants
Related ebooks
Classifying Plants: Level 7 Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsIn the Name of Plants: From Attenborough to Washington, the People behind Plant Names Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsDo Plants Eat Meat? The Wonderful World of Carnivorous Plants - Biology Books for Kids | Children's Biology Books Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsCarnivorous Plants Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsButterflies in the Backyard Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBackyard Bugs: An Identification Guide to Common Insects, Spiders, and More Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsForest Food Webs in Action Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFunky Fungi: 30 Activities for Exploring Molds, Mushrooms, Lichens, and More Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Lives of Fungi: A Natural History of Our Planet's Decomposers Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsSeeds of Amazonian Plants Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsPlants for Soil Regeneration: An Illustrated Guide Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLeaf beetles Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Big, Bad Book of Botany: The World's Most Fascinating Flora Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Pollination: The Enduring Relationship between Plant and Pollinator Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsVistas in Botany: Recent Researches in Plant Taxonomy Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Science of Life: Projects and Principles for Beginning Biologists Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsGrow Wild: A Beginner's Guild to Growing Wildflowers Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsExperiment with a Plant's Roots Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Sceptical Gardener: The Thinking Person's Guide to Good Gardening Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Exotic Tillandsia Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWhat is that Plant? Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsNative Plant Gardening for Birds, Bees & Butterflies: Northern California Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWeeds: In Defense of Nature's Most Unloved Plants Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Environmental Injury to Plants Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsExploding Ants: Amazing Facts About How Animals Adapt Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Biochemistry of Plants: Carbohydrates Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWildflower Wonders: The 50 Best Wildflower Sites in the World Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsWild Plants for a Sustainable Future Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsTrees of New York Field Guide Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Monarch Butterfly, Monarch Butterfly Migration, Facts, Life Cycle, What Do They Eat, Habitat Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
YA Science & Nature For You
The Way Things Work Now Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Imagine Me Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Dry Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Ashfall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Roxy Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Wings in the Wild Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5DIY Drones for the Evil Genius: Design, Build, and Customize Your Own Drones Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Physics for Kids : Electricity and Magnetism - Physics 7th Grade | Children's Physics Books Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Archimedes and the Door of Science Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Let's Explore the Solar System (Planets): Planets Book for Kids Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHow Do Electric Motors Work? Physics Books for Kids | Children's Physics Books Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Finest Hours (Young Readers Edition): The True Story of a Heroic Sea Rescue Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Science of Superheroes: The Secrets Behind Speed, Strength, Flight, Evolution, and More Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Summary of The Selfish Gene: by Richard Dawkins - A Comprehensive Summary Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsAn Introduction to the Periodic Table of Elements : Chemistry Textbook Grade 8 | Children's Chemistry Books Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Sunrise Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5H2O Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Love Sucks and Then You Die Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Ringer Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Our Moon: New Discoveries About Earth's Closest Companion Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Gone to the Woods: Surviving a Lost Childhood Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Galileo and the Magic Numbers Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5After the End Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Shade of the Moon Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5The Storm Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Katya's Book of Mushrooms: Fungi, Fauna, Facts & Folklore Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Cell Biology 7th Grade Textbook | Children's Biology Books Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Black Potatoes: The Story of the Great Irish Famine, 1845–1850 Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for Ninja Plants
0 ratings0 reviews
Book preview
Ninja Plants - Wiley Blevins
To Jerome Su, who inspired this book after our walk through the campus grounds of National Taiwan University in Taipei
A special thanks for technical support on the initial draft to botanist James Boyer, Vice President for Children’s Education, New York Botanical Garden
Text copyright © 2017 by Wiley Blevins
All rights reserved. International copyright secured. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise—without the prior written permission of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc., except for the inclusion of brief quotations in an acknowledged review.
Twenty-First Century Books
A division of Lerner Publishing Group, Inc.
241 First Avenue North
Minneapolis, MN 55401 USA
For reading levels and more information, look up this title at www.lernerbooks.com.
Main body text set in Bembo STD Regular 12/15.
Typeface provided by Monotype Typography.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Blevins, Wiley, author.
Title: Ninja plants : survival and adaptation in the plant world / by Wiley Blevins.
Other titles: Survival and adaptation in the plant world
Description: Minneapolis : Twenty-First Century Books, [2016] | Includes bibliographical references and index. | Description based on print version record and CIP data provided by publisher; resource not viewed.
Identifiers: LCCN 2016021288 (print) | LCCN 2016018339 (ebook) | ISBN 9781512428537 (eb pdf) | ISBN 9781512410136 (lb : alk. paper)
Subjects: LCSH: Plants—Adaptation—Juvenile literature.
Classification: LCC QK921 (print) | LCC QK921 .B54 2016 (ebook) | DDC 581.4/7—dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016018339
Manufactured in the United States of America
1-39561-21260-8/17/2016
9781512439144 ePub
9781512439151 ePub
9781512439168 mobi
Contents
Introduction
A Secret, Remarkable World
1 P.U., You Stink!
2 Feed Me
3 Ready for Battle
4 Copycats
5 Going to Extremes
6 Get a Move On
7 Catching Fire
Conclusion
Plants and Humans: A Love Letter
Glossary
Selected Bibliography
Further Information
Index
Source notes
Introduction
A Secret, Remarkable World
What can communicate but has no mouth, can smell but has no nose, and can attack but has no hands?
The answer: a plant! When you think about plants, you might admire the beauty and sweet fragrance of flowers, appreciate the taste of fruits and vegetables, or think about the many products we get from wood, such as furniture or paper. But you might not realize that plants are far more complex than their beauty, taste, and utility in everyday life and that many are in a constant struggle with one another for survival. Every day, plants wage a fierce battle—a struggle for the best soil, the most direct sunlight, and domination of the land’s resources. Unless we observe plants carefully, humans mostly miss these struggles, because they occur at a slow pace and almost silently.
The scientific study of plants is called botany. Botanists observe, research, and record plant behavior, and plants certainly have some surprises for us. From plants that act aggressively—almost like ancient ninja warriors—to those that behave like secret agents and tricksters, the world of plants is as diverse and action-packed as it is fascinating.
Some plants, such as the stinking hellebore and the skunk cabbage, emit odors that are offensive to humans. But the odors attract the insects and animals that pollinate these plants as part of reproduction. Without pollination, these plants would become extinct. Other plants, such as the laughing bumblebee orchid, have evolved over many generations to resemble the insects they need to lure their way for pollination. The Venus flytrap, which grows in mineral-deficient soil, survives by being a carnivore (flesh eater), specifically by eating insects. This plant draws nitrogen and other vital minerals from the bodies of the insects and other small animals it devours. Lithops take the shape of pebbles to trick their plant-eating predators into passing them by.
Skunk cabbages emit a strong odor that attracts insects such as flies, bees, and beetles. The insects carry pollen between male and female parts of skunk cabbage flowers, helping the plants reproduce.
Other plants lie dormant (inactive), appearing dead for periods of time, to survive harsh climates or to deceive hungry animals that might want to munch on their leaves. Parasitic plants, such as the strangler fig, are far more aggressive. They suck host plants to get the nutrients they need to live. They might also hog all the sunlight and water in the area. This sometimes results in the host plant’s death. Plants also use botanical tricks to disperse their seeds over a wide area. For example, the spiny seedpods of burdock burrs grab onto animal and human passersby, who unknowingly carry the seeds with them to new spots, where they will sprout and grow. The seedpods of some fruit plants explode like mini bombs, shooting seeds over a wide area to ensure that new plants of the species will grow there.
Plants use various methods to disperse their seeds over a wide area. Some plants rely on the wind to blow seeds to new spots. The seeds sprout and grow in the soil where they land.
You might have some of these sneaky, creepy, and sometimes violent plants in your own backyard. One or more of these plants might even be lurking in your home in a decorative pot. You might see some of these plants at a local park or community garden. They live in a world few people regularly notice, but this secret world of plants, with bizarre stories to tell, is waiting to be discovered.
Evolution 101
Ukrainian American biologist Theodosius Dobzhansky once said, Nothing in biology makes sense except in light of evolution.
In evolution a species, or specific type of living thing, changes and adapts to its environment over many generations. Famed English naturalist Charles Darwin (1809–1882) was the first to describe the process of evolution, which he published in his landmark 1859 book On the Origin of Species.
A number of different processes can cause plant species to change. The most common is natural selection (living things pass on to their offspring beneficial traits that help them survive). With each successive generation, the favorable traits become more common, while plants with less favorable traits do not reproduce and therefore die out. Natural selection often begins with a mutation, or a random change, in a plant’s genes. Genes are chemical structures made of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA). They are in the cells of all living things, and they direct the growth, behavior, and reproduction of living organisms. Parents pass on their genes to the next generation. Suppose a mutation in a plant’s genes results in a new flower color that is very appealing to pollinating insects. With more pollinators, the plant is more likely to reproduce than plants with a less attractive flower color. The plant will pass the appealing color to its offspring, which will later reproduce and continue to pass on the color. Eventually, more and more plants of the species will have the new flower color.
Binomial Nomenclature
Throughout history, numerous scientists have devised ways to classify and identify plants and animals. Some early classification systems included long descriptions of a plant’s or animal’s identifying characteristics, often resulting in long and cumbersome names. To streamline identification, eighteenth-century Swedish botanist Carolus Linnaeus