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IsraelinSF t1_j1vin6n wrote

Reply to comment by Ironhyde36 in AskScience AMA Series: I'm Here to Talk About Roots and Shoots: How Plants Prosper in the Desert and What it Means for Agriculture and Biodiversity, AMA! by AskScienceModerator

I have not studied specifically the cacti in Montana. The adaptations that enable cacti to grow in the desert are the same that enable them to grow in extreme cold. The common factor between extreme cold and desert is drought. In the desert there is less water, and in freezing areas there is less water in liquid-form. The cacti are part of the CAM plant family, which open their stomata at night, thereby minimising water loss.

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