What are the adaptations of grass?

Answer 1

Grasses have low growth points or apical meristems that are found at, near or below ground level. These growth points make the plants able to be grazed without killing the entire plant.

The narrow leaves of grasses also provide less surface area to get sunlight, warmth, moisture and air at the same time not providing detrimental effect on the plant. The less surface area also enables more leaves to grow from the plant and also allows more grass plants to grow and live per unit area.

Fast growth, depending on the type of grass, enables them to quickly emerge and generate seed before the year is out. This is their method to beat the grazing animals to the punch so they can complete their lifecycle before something eats them. C3 grasses have a special carbon molecule that enables them to grow during the cooler part of the year, which is from early spring to the start of summer. They become dormant when the hottest part of summer arrives, and some emerge again before the first killing frost hits. C4 grasses have a special carbon molecule that enables them to grow when the C3 grasses go dormant, which is from late spring/early summer all the way to the beginning of fall. C3 grasses are commonly found in northern areas such as Canada and northern USA as they are able to survive under a deep pack of snow and temperatures that go below freezing. C4 grasses tend to like growing during the hottest portion of the year, and quickly complete their life cycle during that time. They do not survive in the colder climates, and are hence commonly called Annuals. However these "annuals" are able to survive year-round in warmer climates such as the southern half of the USA and Mexico and can be considered perennials in those climates.

Most grasses have seeds that are able to be dispersed easily when an animal or bird brushes by, or by gusty winds. Seeds are small, and thus are easily buried among other dead plant matter, and allow themselves to be buried by the dead plants being weighed down by snow or pushed down as new tillers grow.

Grasses often develop other growth points or daughter tillers to continue their existence without completely dying off. These daughter tillers are often found below the ground surface and stem off of the parent plant. Some grasses can have as few as five to as many as 20 tillers growing off of them. When the parent plant dies off (after completing its life cycle when seeds develop), these daughter tillers take over continuing the grass's life cycle.

There are further two types of grasses: sod grasses and bunch grasses. Sod grasses produce a thick root mass below the ground surface as they grow, making them ideal for lawns and for improving soil health. Sod grasses are often used in pastures as they are difficult to uproot, and quickly regernate themselves after heavy grazing. They grow low to the ground and spread out horizontally instead of vertically. Kentucky Bluegrass, Creeping Red Fescue and Meadow Bromegrass are a few examples of sod grasses. Bunch grasses grow in a bunch, and often grow in tall, vertical-like swards that can reach over 6 feet in height. These grasses are great for use for haying, but can also be found in pastures. These type of grasses are easily pulled up by grazing animals when young, but also provide a habitat for grassland-dwelling birds and other animals. Big bluestem, Smooth Brome, Reed Canary, Tall Fescue, etc. are examples of bunchgrasses.