Question

Describe at least two challenges that cactuses had to overcome that cattails did not.

a) Cactuses faced challenges of water conservation and extreme heat, unlike cattails.
b) Cactuses had to adapt to low-light conditions and acidic soil, which cattails did not face.
c) Cactuses needed to develop deep roots and succulent stems to store water, unlike cattails.
d) Cactuses faced challenges of wind pollination and salt tolerance, unlike cattails.

Answer 1

Cactuses had to adapt to extreme heat and limited water access in desert environments by developing water-conserving features like succulent stems, while cattails did not face these challenges in their aquatic habitats.

Step-by-step explanation:

Cactuses and cattails, while both plants, have evolved very different adaptations to survive in their respective environments. The question at hand is identifying challenges that cactuses had to overcome that cattails did not.

Firstly, cactuses deal with the challenge of water conservation due to their arid desert environments. These plants have adapted by developing thick, succulent stems that store water and by having their leaves reduced to spines, which reduce water loss. In contrast, cattails live in aquatic or semi-aquatic environments where water conservation is not a critical challenge. Secondly, cactuses must deal with extreme heat, another characteristic of desert habitats. To cope, cactuses have evolved variations of the light-independent reactions of photosynthesis that improve water usage efficiency and help conserve water and energy.

Option (a) is the correct answer since it captures the essence of the adaptations cactuses have made in response to their environment. The other options either present conditions not specifically related to cactuses (option b and d) or do not differentiate between the challenges faced by cactuses and cattails (option c).