What adaptations have been developed in plants living at high and low temperatures?

Plants living in high temperature conditions have developed a variety of adaptations that allow them to escape the harmful effects of overheating: the vertical position of leaves, the folding of leaf blades (cereals), a decrease in the leaf surface, the development of thorns (cacti), the ability to store a large amount of water, a developed root system , dense pubescence, which gives the leaves a light color and enhances the reflection of the incident light, etc.

Plants in cold habitats that have to endure cold winters also develop protective changes. Perennial grasses and shrubs of polar and high-mountain areas have very small leaves and small sizes (dwarf birch, dwarf willow). Their height corresponds to the depth of the snow cover, since all parts protruding above the snow perish. In the cold season, all life processes in plants slow down. Preparation for the state of winter dormancy begins well in advance. Plants shed their foliage. They have lignification of the shoots and thickening of the cork layer. In many herbaceous plants, aerial organs die off. Some aquatic plants sink to the bottom of water bodies or form hibernating buds.