How do the desert plants conserve the available water in their body?
Answers
Answer:
Desert plants conserve water by minimizing water loss through the surface of their leaves. Many have the ability to close leaf pores, called stomata, through which gas and water are exchanged, during drought conditions.
Plants in desert ecosystems are most prolific near riverbeds. Whether dry or wet, these areas often contain water underground and plants are more likely to survive if their roots can reach a reliable water supply. These are also the most likely places for water to accumulate in the case of rain. When the water comes, the plants will be there to receive it.
Many desert plants have vast root systems, capable of reaching deep, otherwise unusable water supplies under the dry soil.
Fog is also a reliable water source in deserts where the conditions are right for it. Air condenses to form dew in the cool mornings. The dew is captured on the plant’s leaves and hairs.
Once plants have collected water into their bodies through various means, they must hold on to it, despite the intense heat of the desert ecosystem. Several adaptations have evolved in desert plants to meet this need.
Most desert plants are inactive for much of the year. During dry periods they do not perform many water-draining functions such as photosynthesis. These periods of dormancy allow the plant to survive, though not grow or reproduce, during the most challenging months of the year. When plants do produce seeds, the new seeds remain in their protective coat much longer than in more temperate climates. During rainy periods, water dissolves the seed casing and the seed grows rapidly.
Structural adaptations are also important to plant’s survival in the desert. Wax coatings on leaves prevent water loss through evaporation, which in the hot desert can cause loss of water from both the surface and the inside of leaves. Leaves are also smaller on desert plants, further reducing the possibility for water loss.
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