Big Bend National Park in Texas Is Mostly Chihuahuan Desert

question 73

Multiple Choice

Big Bend National Park in Texas is mostly Chihuahuan desert, where rainfall averages about 10 inches per year. Yet, it is not uncommon when hiking in this bone-dry desert to encounter mosses and ferns. One such plant is called "flower of stone." It is not a flowering plant, nor does it produce seeds. Under arid conditions, its leaflike structures curl up. However, when it rains, it unfurls its leaves, which form a bright green rosette on the desert floor. Consequently, it is sometimes called the "resurrection plant." At first glance, it could be a fern, a true moss, or a spike moss.
-What feature of both true mosses and ferns makes it most surprising that they can survive for many generations in dry deserts?

• A) flagellated sperm
• B) lack of vascular tissues
• C) lack of true roots
• D) lack of cuticle
• E) a gametophyte generation that is dominant

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Definitions:

Context Effects

The influence of environmental factors on one's perception, cognition, or behavior in a specific situation.

Perceptual Adaptation

The ability of the body to adjust to an environment by filtering out distractions and focusing on significant information.

Relative Luminance

A measure of the brightness of a color perceived by the human eye, relative to a white reference point, used in computer vision and digital imaging.

Interposition

A visual cue in which one object partially blocks another, indicating depth perception in visual field.