BSC 385 - Ecology Lecture 8 Water Relations - Chapter 5

1. BSC 385 - Ecology Lecture 8 Water Relations - Chapter 5 Water movement in aquatic organisms Water movement in plants Water acquisition and utilization in terrestrial plants and animals Water balance in aquatic animals

2. Water Movement in Aquatic Environment - definition of terms with respect to organisms • Isosmotic: Body fluids and external fluid are at the same concentration. • Hypoosmotic: Body fluids have a higher concentration of water and a lower concentration of solute than the external environment. • Hyperosmotic: Body fluids have a lower concentration of water and a higher concentration of solute than the external environment. • Note that an inverse relationship exists between water and solutes

3. Effects of solute concentration on cells - note that only the water moves Isosmotic Hyperosmotic Hypoosmotic Shading depicts solute concentration - what is the relationship with respect to water concentration?

4. Effects of solute concentration on multicellular organisms - note that water and solute can move - the solute can leak around the junctions of the cells that make up tissues (but not cell membranes!) Figure 5.4

5. Osmotic condition can be related to environment or organisms Hypo < Hyper > organism environment Relative concentrations [organism solute] > [environment solute] [environment solute] < [organism solute] Result H2O flows into organism H2O flows into organism

6. BSC 385 - Ecology Lecture 8 Water Relations - Chapter 5 Water movement in aquatic organisms Water movement in plants Water acquisition and utilization in terrestrial plants and animals Water balance in aquatic animals

7. H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H H O O O O O O O O O O O Water Movement Between Soils and Plants Water moving between soil and plants flows down a water concentration gradient This gradient is described in the book as “water potential” or Y (PSI; sigh). This complex term is used because vpd, osmosis and the laws governing movement of water through small places all play a role

8. Water potential Y of pure water is set to zero, any change causes Y become negative. For example: Addition of a solute to water causes Y < 0 Matric Forces: Water’s tendency to adhere to solid surfaces. In small places (soil, plant cells) these can be very strong and causes negative water potentials Evaporation from leaves creates a negative pressure that cause negative water potentials - all water vapor pressures less than saturation water vapor pressure cause a negative water potential

9. Cartoon of the microenvironments of a soil crumb

10. Water potential of a plant-soil system Ysoil = Ymatric + Ysolute while Yplant = Ymatric + Ysolute + Ypressure The soil matrix is as depicted in the previous slide and the plant matrix is the xylem (plus some effects from the phloem) Evaporation Figure 5.5

11. Summary of forces moving water from soil through plant Figure 5.6 + Ysolute

12. BSC 385 - Ecology Lecture 8 Water Relations - Chapter 5 Water movement in aquatic organisms Water movement in plants Water acquisition and utilization in terrestrial plants and animals Water balance in aquatic animals

13. Water Regulation on Land - Animals • Wia= Wd + Wf + Wa - We - Ws • Wia= Animal’s internal water • Wd = Water gained from drinking • Wf = Water gained from food (includes metabolic water) • Wa = Absorbed from air • We = Evaporation • Ws = Secretion / Excretion

14. Water Regulation on Land - Plants • Wip= Wr + Wa - Wt - Ws • Wip= Plant’s internal water • Wr = Absorbed by roots • Wa = Absorbed from air • Wt = Transpiration • Ws = Secretions

15. Comparison of the main routes of water gain and loss for terrestrial plants and animals Figure 5.7

16. Animals in dry climates must either acquire significant water … The desert beetle Onymacris Figure 5.8

17. Water budget for Onymacris (total water usage 49.9 g H2O g-1 body weight) Figure 5.9

18. … or conserve (Kangaroo rat - 60 g H2O per day (total); average weight 40-50 g) Figure 5.10

19. It is the same for plant, either acquire significant water or conserve observation Laboratory experiment Figures 5.11 & 5.12

20. The effect of having dense, deep penetrating roots is having sufficient water to maintain leaf water potential Figure 5.13

21. Water conservation is most often seen in organisms from dry environments Figure 5.14 + 5.15

22. Mechanisms involve reduction of water loss (one example is evolving a waterproof cuticle) Figure 5.16

23. Changes in conservation measures can occur among populations within a species Figure 5.17

24. Reducing leaf area is one mechanism involved with the reduction of water loss Figures 5.18 & 5.19

25. Other are behavior, storing water, insulation and physiological adaptations to high body heat Figure 5.20

26. Scorpions show behaviors that conserve water, waterproofing and a low metabolism (reduces need for respiration, thus reducing evaporation) while … Figure 5.21

27. How can a desert insect afford evaporative cooling? … cicada shows behaviors that conserve water and evaporative cooling! Figure 5.22, 5.23 & 5.24

28. Using its food source’s ability to tap into water deep underground Figure 5.25

29. BSC 385 - Ecology Lecture 8 Water Relations - Chapter 5 Water movement in aquatic organisms Water movement in plants Water acquisition and utilization in terrestrial plants and animals Water balance in aquatic animals

30. Water regulation in aquatic organisms Wi = Wd - Ws ± Wo Marine environments - many invertebrates are isosmotic Sharks (and relatives) slightly hyperosmotic relative to environment (although salt is ~1/3 total solute) Figure 5.26

31. Saltwater bony fishes and saltwater mosquitoes are hypoosmotic relative to the environment Figure 5.27

32. Freshwater bony fishes and freshwater mosquitoes are hyperosmotic relative to the environment Figure 5.28

33. Investigating the evidence - Sample size or the number of samples needed to accurately characterize a population