Question

How do desert plants get \[C{O_2}\] and why?

Answer 1

Hint: Desert plants as the name suggests are grown up in arid regions and they survive on less amount of water. Some examples of desert plants are- prickly pear cactus as cactus is the most common desert plant, we all know. There are types of cactus like- barrel cactus, saguaro cactus, hedgehog cactus, organ pipe cactus, brittlebush, creosote bush, desert ironwood plant.

Complete answer:
Firstly, let's understand why desert plants take in carbon dioxide. Because of the very hot temperature, plants tend to lose water which is called transpiration due to which in the morning they do not take carbon dioxide. At night the temperature is very low so that is why the stomata of desert plants or cactus open at night so that the water percent in the plant could not get out of the plant. Desert plants take the sunlight in the morning and carbon dioxide at night and make their food at that particular time.
As in the day they are not able to take carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to perform photosynthesis so they take the gas at night and use it in the day. The rate of evaporation is very low at night due to which more water cannot evaporate.

Desert plants save water in morning and night time. They utilize water to prepare food and store photosynthates. They use the sun's energy to convert carbon dioxide and water into sugar. The stomata on a plant leaves and stems open during this process to absorb carbon dioxide from the air and to release oxygen in exchange. Each time a plant opens its pores, some water escapes during day time.
These desert plants get water from tap roots. Sometimes the tap roots can get to be more than \[100\] feet long. Desert plants may have a huge, tangled network of shallow roots that spread out from the plant in all directions. The roots can be as long as the plant allowing the plant to quickly absorb water from slightest rainfall.

Note:
Replacing the lost water in desert plants is a little tougher as compared to other plants. If the desert plants do not get enough water the plant can die. So, these plants acquired some adaptations to help them reduce water loss. Smaller, fewer pores than other plants with such hot and dry winds are also prevented by nocturnal plants, desert plants act as nocturnal plants due the discussed reason transpiration occurs during day-time.