Cacti, like the one above, and other plants like orchids and succulents are known as CAM plants. CAM plants are plants that are able to adapt to hot and dry climates through a special metabolic pathway that depends on a day-night cycle. For example, this cactus would open its stoma during the night to intake carbon dioxide and store it in its vacuoles in the form of Malic acid until daytime. During the day, the cactus will close its stoma and the Malic acid is decarboxylated and the carbon is fixed through the Calvin cycle. CAM plants also have the ability to conserve water due to their stoma being closed during the day, allowing them to survive even in the driest of environments.
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