BIO SCI 94 Chapter Notes - Chapter 31: Monocotyledon, Gynoecium, Endosperm

• School: UC-Irvine
• Department: Biological Sciences
• Course: BIO SCI 94
• Professor: Robin Bush

Document Summary

Green algae considered protists, but studied along with land plants for two reasons. Closest living relatives to land plants and form monophyletic group. Transition from aquatic to terrestrial life occurred when land plants evolved from green algae. Green algae and land plants provide ecosystem services because they enhance life-supporting attributes of the atmosphere, surface, water, soil, and other physical components of an ecosystem. Green plants alter the environment in ways that benefit many other organisms. Ecosystem - all organisms in a particular area along with physical components (atmosphere, precipitation, etc). Plants do oxygenic photosynthesis - evolved in cyanobacteria and responsible for origin of oxygen-rich atmosphere. Provide food for decomposers who add organic matter to the soil, changing its structure and ability to hold nutrients and water; build and hold soil. Plant leaves soften physical impact of rainfall on soil and builds soil"s water- holding capacity and moderate climate. Land plants are the dominant primary producers in terrestrial ecosystems.