The chosen favorite organism is the Montezuma cypress tree, a terrestrial organism that exists in a habitat surrounded by fresh water. According to the Encyclopedia of Life (2018), its natural habitat is stringently riparian along the upland rivers and lesser streams. However, since the pre-Hispanic times, this species has been planted away from these water sources, but the new habitats had a sustainable and tenable water table reaching up to the root systems of the trees. The tree exists and survives in habitats with moist soil or poorly drained sites. Despite the tree being substantially drought and salt resistant, it favors areas with rainy climates or weather throughout the year. Alternatively, in the absence of regular rainfall, the species could grow in the regions that experience high summer rainfall.
The species also favors highland habitats with an altitude of between 980 to 8200 feet. Other than the altitude, additional favorable landscape features include river borders, arroyos, and canyon bottoms with more or less perennial waters near the surface. The riparian landscape of the species consists of the riparian zone of a desert shrub community along the Rio Grande while the uplands include areas with an abundance of stool, blackbrush acacia, and mesquite. The species prefers temperate environments but has also been associated with temperatures around 10 degrees Fahrenheit. In addition, the tree is thought to tolerate temperatures below zero degrees Fahrenheit. The Montezuma cypress is a woody tree, and as such, its role is ecosystem engineering and landscape modulating thereby creating a resource niche suitable for the survival of other organisms. Regarding food sources, the species makes its food through the photosynthesis process, and as such, it is a producer.
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The species’ scientific name is Taxodium mucronatum Ten of the family Taxodiaceae. Based on the phylogenetic tree, its congener or closest relative is the Taxodium distichum. The above assertions are represented by the figure below that duly illustrates the phylogenetic tree of the family Taxodiaceae.
The Montezuma baldcypress species is known for its wide buttress and convoluted trunk that is 150 meters wide in diameter. This wide and massive trunk is essentially used to support the tree owing to the fact that it equally grows to massive heights. Furthermore, the wide trunk is used to store food manufactured by the leaves of the tree which are thin and pointed. The leaf morphology of the tree is narrow, thin, and pointy. In essence, these are the central food-manufacturing organs of the plant. According to Gilman and Watson (2014), the species has droopy branches that are showy and supported by the massive trunk. Moreover, the branches are decorated with thorns all around that mainly serve as protection mechanism of the species against predators. The branches are descriptively strong and resistant to breakage making them sustainable against bad weathers. Specifically, the leaves are lanceolate and evergreen to maximize chloroform for photosynthesis. The roots of the species are differential, some are conical shaped or form knees while some do not adopt this feature depending on water availability.
Regarding the evolution of the species, perhaps the most recognizable feature is the foliage of the species. Elaborately, the species has thin, lanceolate, and evergreen leaves that not only help in the maximization of sunshine intake for photosynthesis but also the preservation of water in the case that the species grows in areas with inadequate water. The trunks of the species as described above are wide and massive and are meant to support the gigantic height considering the moist and wet conditions they grow in. Moreover, the species have strong and long roots meant to penetrate the soil to access the water table, especially in areas with perennial water supply as well as provide stability given the wet conditions the species thrives in.
Also, the trunks or barks of the species are shredded and hardy to protect the trunk from predators and extremely low or high temperatures depending on the locale of the species. The ovulate cones according to Gilman and Watson (2014) are sub-globose, dry, hard, and brown thereby rebuffing wildlife. Since the species grows in wetlands where vegetation is thick, they have over the years grown tall to enable them to reach the sunlight and adequate air for food production and respiration respectively. The Montezuma baldcypress is bald-shaped as opposed to the cone-shaped to increase the surface area for absorption of sunlight. Also, as an evolutionary adaptation, the species has developed thorns along its branches meant to protect it from wildlife.
According to Gilman and Watson (2014), the species is moderately adaptable to arid and semi-arid conditions. As such, if implanted to such a habitat, the species would survive with little to no changes to its structure. In essence, the species already has thin leaves, which when exposed to such a habitat would minimize the transpiration rate. Furthermore, the branches of the species are decorated with thorns which as well reduce the surface area for transpiration. As such, the organ system of the organism would still be efficient. The only change that the species could undergo would be waxing of its leaves and branches to reflect off excessive heat or radiation. Moreover, the species could develop longer roots to enable access of the deep water table.
Also, the ones or the fruits of the species would become harder and encapsulated in hardy shells to resist the heat and desiccation. However, if the species were to be uprooted and planted in a cold habitat, it would still survive with no changes to its anatomical structure or organ system. This assertion is based on the rationale that the species is tolerant to temperatures below 0°F. In this regard, the organ system would still be efficient with the only notable change being to the metabolism rate.
As common to any organism, reduced temperatures diminish the activity of the organism. To this end, the metabolism of the organism among other activities such as food production would be minimal. Moreover, the thin pointed leaves of the organism and droopy leaves would reduce the amount of snow caught on them thereby still maintaining the functionality of the leaves. Overall, the organism is adaptable to any of the above-mentioned and described habitats with little to no changes to its anatomical structure and organ system efficiency.
References
Encyclopedia of Life. (2018). Taxodium mucronatum: Montezuma Cypress. Retrieved from http://eol.org/pages/1034850/details#ecology
Figure 1. retrieved from https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/2656874.pdf?refreqid=excelsior%3A382b253f57182c11ad1392d0f2234870
Gilman, E.F., & Watson D.G. (2014). Taxodium mucronatum: Montezuma Baldcypress. University of Florida. Retrieved from http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/pdffiles/ST/ST62300.pdf
