Surface features and climate determine which plants grow in an area. Plants have special needs. Some, such as lichens, grow on bare rock. Others need rich, loamy soil. Still others, such as the birch, do better in rocky soil.
Many plants die if their roots become too wet.
Others prefer wet roots and thrive in boggy conditions. The climate also affects the growth of plants. There are areas near Hudson's Bay that do not have enough warm days to permit trees to grow. Other 'tundra' plants grow in such areas because they are hardy enough to withstand the cold and do not need to compete with trees for sunlight. All animals have bodies that can take a certain climate, cold or warm, wet or dry.