B.C.'s Goldstream Provincial Park Adaptive Nature for Grades 4-6 Background Plants and animals adapt constantly to changes in their environments.
Plants adapt to environmental change through physical adaptation.
For example, the Arbutus tree, which is subjected to periodic drought, has a wax-like coating on its leaves and a special peeling bark, which helps the tree to retain moisture. Animals can adapt to environmental change, not only through physical adaptation, but also through behavioural adaptation. Humans, for example, adapt to extreme cold by wearing heavy clothing and building insulated shelters. They can do this through physical and behavioural adaptation. Hand out photocopies of Worksheet 1.