Rainforest plants, like orchids, face challenges such as high humidity and competition for light, as the dense canopy can limit sunlight penetration. This can lead to a reliance on specialized adaptations for photosynthesis, such as a high surface area of leaves to capture as much light as possible in shaded conditions. In contrast, desert plants, such as succulents, are adapted to extreme aridity and intense sunlight, which can lead to water loss and heat stress. To cope with this, they often employ CAM (Crassulacean Acid Metabolism) photosynthesis, which allows them to photosynthesize at night when temperatures are cooler and water loss is minimized. These contrasting conditions significantly shape the photosynthetic strategies and overall growth of plants in each environment.
Plants in different environments have challenges that only they have. For example, the growth of a plant in a rainforest (e.g., an orchid) might be more affected by different things than a plant in a desert (e.g., a succulent). In four to five sentences, compare environmental challenges that could affect the photosynthetic process of a rainforest plant versus a desert plant.
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