Final answer:
Plants grown in low carbon dioxide conditions can increase their photosynthetic surface area for better energy capture and employ special adaptations, like nighttime CO2 capture, to manage their photosynthesis process and conserve water. The feature of photomorphogenesis also enables efficient use of light and space.
Step-by-step explanation:
Plants leverage several mechanisms to promote their growth at low carbon dioxide concentrations. Chief among these is an increase in the photosynthetic surface area allowing them to capture more energy. Special adaptations have also evolved in dry-climate plants to conserve water while they photosynthesize even when carbon dioxide is in short supply, such as when stomata are closed on hot days. Mutant Arabidopsis have also shown that the stomatal density can increase with low CO2 concentrations.
Photosynthesis in dry-climate plants has evolved with adaptations that simultaneously balance carbon dioxide consumption, energy harvesting, and water conservation. Here, photosynthesis can be performed with stomata mostly shut, by capturing CO2 when the stomata are open in cooler nighttime temperatures. This carbon fixation is a mechanism used by plants, like cacti, to enhance their photosynthesis process and conserve water at the same time.
Another strategy employed by such plants includes Photomorphogenesis, the growth development of plants in response to light. Understanding and responding to light allow these plants to optimize their use of space and perform photosynthesis more efficiently.
Learn more about Plant Adaptations to Low CO2