How Desert Plants Survive How do desert plants save water?
Desert plants work hard to make use of what’s available. They use the sun’s energy to convert carbon dioxide to (CO2) and water (H2O) into sugar, a process called photosynthesis. During this process, small pores (stomata) on a plant’s leaves and stems open to absorb CO2 from the air and in return release oxygen (O2). Each time a plant opens its pores, some H2O is lost. This is called transpiration. Replacing this lost H2O is not easy with so little annual moisture; and if the H2O can not be replaced, the desert plants will die. A unique fact of desert plants is that they have acquired special adaptations that help them in reducing H2O loss.
