Crassulacean Acid Metabolism ( CAM )

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As climate change triggers more frequent and longer-lasting droughts, water scarcity concerns are escalating. Only about 3% of the world's water is freshwater, and much of that is frozen in ice or otherwise unavailable for use. Agriculture is the biggest freshwater consumer worldwide, which emphasizes the need for hardier plants that can withstand drier conditions.

Desert plants use a form of photosynthesis known as crassulacean acid metabolism, or CAM, to hold carbon dioxide in their cells overnight to be turned into sugars in the daylight hours. To survive extreme desert temperatures, CAM plants open their stomata, or leaf pores, to capture carbon dioxide only during the night and keep them closed during the heat of day to avoid water loss.

National Science Foundation, USA

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