Question

What feature of both true mosses and ferns makes it most surprising that they can survive for many generations in dry deserts? Use the following information to answer the question(s) below. 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. lack of vascular tissues
b. flagellated sperm
c. lack of true roots
d. lack of cuticle

Answer 1

Answer:

The correct answer will be option-A

Explanation:

Desert biomes are characterised by the presence of the arid conditions or with few or less amount of rainfall.

The plant groups called the bryophytes and pteridophytes are dependent on the water for their fertilization which allows completing their life cycle.

In the desert conditions provided in the question, the mosses and ferns survived for many generations as these plant groups produced sperms with flagella which helped the sperms to swim in the water provided by the 10-inch rainfall per year and reach the female gamete and fertilize the egg cell.

Thus, option-A is the correct answer.