What are the adaptive traits of cacti?

Answer 1

-By storing water inside them.

-They have roots that grow deep down to get as much moisture as they can under ground.

-They have sharp spines to protect them from animals (predators) that want to eat it.

-Their leaves are reduced to spines to reduce water loss.

-They have a thick 'fleshy' like stem to stop any water or moisture coming out which stores water inside.
Cacti have shallow roots so when the occassional rainfall falls, the roots soak up the water fast. A cactus stores roots in the body of the cactus.

Answer 2

Cacti do not have spikes to protect them from predators, they have them, believe it or not, to give them shade so that they wouldn't have to use up as much water, the "protect from predators" part was just a bonus. They are also able to dig extremely deep into the ground with their roots in order to absorb water since it scarcely rains in the deserts that they live in. Cacti is the plural of Cactus; it is not "cactuses". :)

Answer 3

Cacti are succulents. Their fleshy parts hold moisture. They have waxy/plastic like skins and don't have leaves, so they don't lose moisture that way. Some have spines, or irritating fuzz, which protects from the sun and from browsing animals.

Answer 4

Cactus plants adapt by making changes within themselves that help them better survive in such extreme environments as the desert and the jungle. For example, jungle cactus plants adapt by not growing on the darker forest floor. Instead, they grow high up on tree trunks or branches. This is because they have plenty of access to water in the hot humid tropics. But the thick tree canopy allows for filtered, not direct sunlight. The jungle cactus plants therefore don't grow out of soil. They likewise locate themselves closer to what's in short supply in the thick, dark jungle: sunlight.

Desert cactus plants adapt by growing thick stems above ground and shallow, fibrous roots below ground. Also above ground are modified leaves in the form of thorns, spines, quills or needles. The thick stem is used to handle, process and store water, dissolved nutrients, and energizing photosynthetic products. The very thin modified leaves channel atmospheric water from dew, rain or snow to the ground, from which the drops seep into the soil to be taken up the cactus roots.

Answer 5

It depends on what genus of cacti you are talking about. Some cacti are better suited for living in arid climates, some grow in mountainous areas that get rather cold at night and also get a fair amount of rain.

Most cacti have adapted by having small fleshy leaves, thick stems and spines to shade the plant, shallow roots that are spread out and a short growing season. Many cacti are dormant for long periods.

Click on 'related links' below to read more about their adaptions.

Answer 6

It has "spikes" instead of leaf, so that it would loose less water, which makes them live in the desert