Why the plants of a snowy cold mountain (pine tree) and the plants of a hot arid desert (cactus) are different in structure and shape?
The structure and shape of trees develop according to the surroundings.
The difference in the structure of these two plants is because of the basic law of nature that is the adaptation. It is a fact that all organisms whether plants or animals adapt themselves according to their surroundings. That's why the structure of pine trees and the cactus plants are different. Pine trees are tall and their leaves are so thin (also known as needles) to minimise water loss due to transpiration. On the other hand, cactus does not have leaves. They have stems and long roots which help them to store water in hot and arid areas with water scarcity.