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hari2897 t1_j1u4v8g wrote

If an area that was once extremely fertile becomes deserted and loses all its flora and fauna , will the plants that ever grow there later be something similar to cactus ? How did plants like Cactus 🌵 get into deserts ? Is it due to millions of years of evolution in that specific area ? I'm supposing , for something like cactus to evolve , that area should have been a desert for millions and millions of years such that there was enough time for something like cactus to evolve. So what happens due to our deforestation? How long before things spring back ?

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IsraelinSF t1_j1vjrz5 wrote

The plants that grow back may be similar to cacti, but many plants with many adaptations can exist in the desert. See CAM, C4, and C3 plants above. Deforestation enhances desertification. How long it takes for things to spring back depends on many factors, so it cannot easily be predicted.

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