THE AMAZING PLANT

RACE
Celeste Catena

MEET THE CONTESTANTS:

Marly Moss

Carla Cornstalk

Garth Ginkgo
Hal Hornwort

CONTESTANTS CONTINUED

Fern

Lily Pad

Paula Pine Tree

Homer Horsetail

LOCATION #1 FARMERS FIELD IN

SASKATCHEWAN, CANADA

Wide open space

No water, dry plains
Temperate continental climate
Hot to warm summers
Cold winters
Sunniest province/territory year round
Lowest annual snowfall in Canada
Fourth lowest precipitation in Canada

WHO WAS ELIMINATED IN LEG #1?

Unfortunately, Lily Pad was eliminated.

Lily pads live as rhizomatous aquatic herbs in
temperate and tropical climates around the world.
Due to the lack of an aquatic environment on the
farmers field, Lily had to be eliminated.
She proved early on in the game to be one of the
contestants who had the hardest time adapting to a
new environment. Had Lily not been a solely aquatic
plant, she may have stuck around for a few
more rounds.

LOCATION #2 PEAT BOG IN

NORTHERN SCOTLAND

A bog that accumulates peat a deposit of dead plant

material often that of mosses
Has poorer drainage than a swamp
Soil is not good for cultivation
Acidic water
Cool climate
Scotland has abundant rainfall
Generally cloudy as opposed to sunshine

WHO WAS ELIMINATED IN LEG #2?

This week we had to say goodbye to Carla
Cornstalk.
The climate of the Peat Bog was not at all suitable
for her. Carla seeks a climate that offers warm
weather and sun filled days.
As well as this, soil also played a part in Carlas
elimination. Cornstalks require rich, moist soil to
germinate properly. The soil in peat bogs is not
suited for cultivation, but rather for fuel purposes.
For those reasons, we had to let Carla Cornstalk go
this week.

LOCATION #3 - XINJIANG SEMI

DESERT, CHINA
Semi-arid desert climate
Low annual rainfall
Long sunshine duration
Extreme temperature variations in different
areas
Sudden temperature fluctuations

Summers

very hot
Winters very cold

WHO WILL BE ELIMINATED IN LEG

#3?
This week is Hal Hornworts time to go.
The hornwort is a generally submerged plant,
growing in still or very slow-moving water in
ponds and streams.
Hal struggled in Leg #1 in the farmers field, due
to lack of water. He was nearly eliminated. That
took a toll on him, and the race is simply
becoming too challenging for an aquatic plant
like him.
Although Hal is tolerant to a broad range of
conditions, and gave it his best shot, another
week without water drove him to elimination.

LOCATION #4 AFRICAN SAVANNAH

Has a wet season and a dry season

Plants in this climate must withstand treacherous
periods without rain, as well as flooding
Plants must also withstand lighting storms.
Animals in this area heavily rely on vegetation.
The plants will have to outsmart their predators!
The temperature does not change very much
throughout the seasons
Usually stays between 20-30 degrees Celsius.

WHO WILL BE ELIMINATED IN LEG

#4?
Hasta la vista Homer Horsetail!
At the time of this leg, the African Savanna was
experiencing its dry season. The horsetail plant
needs water to survive, therefore creating problems
for Homer. As a pteridophyte, he struggled with the
lack of water, as he is quite reliant on it at home.
Usually living in wet, soggy, marshy areas, Homers
been out of his comfort zone right from the
beginning, becoming less and less fit each leg.
The race has reached a point where the strong are
separated from the weakand unfortunately Homer
Horsetail was not well enough adapted to last
another week on the Amazing Plant Race.

DOUBLE ELIMINATION!! WHO ELSE

WILL GO?
We had to send one more competitor home this week
along with Homer and it was Fern!
It was not entirely the climate that caused Ferns
downfall in the competition.
In the Savanna, there are many deer inhabiting the
area. This caused a problem for Fern, because deer
often eat ferns. She had a predator!
On top of that, ferns are (relatively) delicate plants
that only grow in areas where there are suitably
moist conditions. They favour sheltered areas.
The remaining competitors are very versatile &
adaptable. Fern was not able to keep up anymore.
Farewell!

SEMIFINALS AMAZON
RAINFOREST, BRAZIL
Tropical climate
Hot and humid throughout the year
Temperature is generally around 27 degrees
Celsius
It rains almost the whole year
No such thing as seasons like summer or winter
only a rainy season and a not so rainy season
Very shaded

WHO WILL BE ELIMINATED FROM

THE SEMIS?
Goodbye Gingko!
The game is almost over, and this week Garth
Gingko was sent home. All the competitors this leg
were very strong and suited for the climate, however
it all came down to an alliance in the end.
Marly Moss & Paula Pine-Tree worked together.
Marly hid on Paulas trunk. Since there are so many
other trees in the Amazon, predators were not
specifically drawn to them.
This left Garth on his own, where he was exposed
and susceptible to predators. Garth should have
thought more about the game-play, and prepared an
alliance for the last few legs. Maybe next time!

THE FINAL TWO FACE DOWN!

VS.

It is between Paula and Marlywho will come out on top in

our final location?! Last week they worked together to
eliminate Garth, but this week it is every woman for
themselves! Who will persevere?! Who will winThe
Amazing Plant Race!!

FINALS HONOLULU, HAWAII

Sunny skies
Warm and gentle winds
Mild temperatures year round
Temperature usually ranges between 26 and 34
degrees Celsius
Many variations of climates desert, tropical
rainforest, temperateall depending on where
you visit!

AND THE WINNER IS.

PAULA PINE TREE!
Paula proved herself to be a front runner right from
the beginning of the game.
Pine trees are very diverse in that they are able to
grow in many kinds of soil, and are adapted to many
extreme conditions based on elevation and latitude.
Paulas vascular system proved to be very useful in
this race, as well as her true roots and resin coated
needles that provide an antifreeze.
What can we say! Paula was one well rounded
competitor!
CONGRATULATIONS PAULA!

IF THE LOCATIONS HAD BEEN REVERSED,

WOULD YOU HAVE CHOSEN A DIFFERENT
WINNER? WHY/WHY NOT?
No! As I mentioned in the previous slide, Paula
was a very diverse competitor. She had all the
characteristics and adaptations to survive all of
the environments.
Other plants definitely would have been
eliminated in a different order, however Paula
Pine Tree would still come out on top.

WOULD YOU EXPECT EACH STUDENT IN

THE CLASS TO CHOOSE THE SAME WINNER
AS YOU? WHY/WHY NOT?
No, absolutely not. There is no right answer to a
project like this, therefore everyone is entitled to
their own opinion as long as they justify
themselves.
I do however believe that a certain few plants,
such as Lily Pad or Carla Cornstalk, may have
been eliminated in the same rounds from a
majority of the class. Plants that proved to have
definite problems with a specific environment
may be the same, but near the end it really could
have been any plants game!

CAN YOU THINK OF A PLANT THAT WASNT

CHOSEN AS A CONTESTANT THAT WOULD BE A
BETTER WINNER? WHICH PLANT AND WHY?
Yes! I think grass would be a better winner.
Although Paula Pine Tree was very diverse, and
had the ability to survive in those locations, you
cant actually find pine trees in all those places.
Whereas, grasses have adapted to conditions in
lushrain forests, drydeserts, cold mountains
and evenintertidal habitats. They are now the
most widespread plant type, and the dominant
vegetation in many habitats.
Therefore, I believe grass would be an even better
winner due to its real life presence in so many
variations of climates!!

AND THAT
CONCLUDES THE
AMAZING PLANT
RACE!