How are needlelike leaves an adaptation to life in cold climates?

Answer 1

Really, the thing that you could ask as well is, how are needle-like leaves adapted to low water conditions!? When it is really cold, especially frozen or under now like where a lot of pine trees live, they have a hard time getting water, and so need to save it as much as possible. A big, flat leaf means that the plant will lose a lot of water! There is a lot of surface area to lose water, and they will lose it as they'll be trying to intake CO2, and will consequently release H2O. Needles have a smaller surface area (round versus flat) and for that reason, lose a lot less water. Needles (at least as far as pine trees go) have suken stomata (where CO2, H2O exchange occurs) and so lose less water because it doesn't evaporate as easily. The sunken stomata are protected inside the needle, and so when cold, dry wind blows over them, they don't lose water to evaporation as much! Anywho, the needles minimize the loss of water which is good in cold weather without a lot of moisture. Cold air doesn't hold as much moisture, and snow doesn't release a lot of water into the ground until it melts.

Answer 2

Needlelike leaves do not lose much water to evaporation, so the needles can be kept on the tree during winter. The tree may not get much food from photosynthesis during winter, but any little bit helps. And the tree gets a head start when spring returns because it doesn't have to wait until it can grow new leaves.

Needlelike leaves also help shed the snow so the weight doesn't build up enough to break the branches. At least it's not as likely to build up.

Answer 3

Trees With Needle Like Leaves