Question

Write a short note on adaptations of plants to water scarcity.

Answer 1

Plants found in deserts are well adapted to cope with water scarcity and the scorching heat of the desert.

1. Plants have an extensive root system to tap underground water.
2. They bear thick cuticles and sunken stomata on the surface of their leaves to reduce transpiration.
3. In Opuntia, the leaves are modified into spines, and green stems carry out the process of photosynthesis.
4. Desert plants have special pathways to synthesize food, called the CAM (C₄ pathway). It enables their stomata to remain closed during the day to reduce water loss by transpiration.