How do cacti live?

Take a closer look at the materials and mechanisms cacti use to survive in the world’s harshest environments

Cacti are hardy, flowering plants in the caryophyllales order that have evolved to survive in some of the Earth’s driest and most barren landscapes. This unceasing survival is achieved through the specialised tailoring of two main principles: form and function. First, all cacti have developed optimal forms for retention of internal water supplies (spheres and cylinders), combining the highest possible volume for storage with the lowest possible surface area for loss. This allows cacti to store vast quantities of water for elongated periods – for example, the species Carnegiea gigantea can absorb 3,000 litres in a mere ten days. This ability directly correlates to the typical weather patterns of Earth’s barren, dry environments, where cacti are predominantly found, with little water being deposited for months on end, only for a short…

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How It Works Book of Incredible Earth (Digital) - 1 Issue, How It Works Book Of Incredible Earth 6th Edition

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