How is the sequence of steps of photosynthesis different in desert plants and those in temperate regions?
Most of the aspects of photosynthesis in desert plants do not differ essentially from those of temperate plants. One major adaptation does occur in some desert species, however. These species have developed a version of photosynthetic CO2 fixation that allows them to take up CO2 from the atmosphere at night and use this to make organic acids. Furthermore, these plants close their stomates during the day and decarboxylate these organic acids and use the carbon to make carbohydrates. This mechanism of photosynthesis is called “Crassulacean Acid Metabolism” or CAM. The adaptive aspect is that growth occurs but water is conserved by keeping stomates closed during the day when evaporative water loss would be greatest.
