Which Plants are Best Adapted for Very Dry, Hot Environments

Question

Which plants are best adapted for very dry, hot environments such as deserts?
A) C₂ plants
B) C₃ plants
C) C₄ plants
D) CAM plants

Accepted Answer

CAM plants (Crassulacean Acid Metabolism) have a specialized physiological mechanism for conserving water in arid conditions. They open their stomata at night to take in carbon dioxide, which is stored as organic acids until daylight when photosynthesis can occur without water loss. This adaptation allows them to survive in very dry, hot environments such as deserts.