AUTHOR=Nour Mudawi M. , Aljabi Hanadi Riyad , AL-Huqail Arwa Abdulkreem , Horneburg Bernd , Mohammed Afrah E. , Alotaibi Modhi O. TITLE=Drought responses and adaptation in plants differing in life-form JOURNAL=Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution VOLUME=Volume 12 - 2024 YEAR=2024 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/ecology-and-evolution/articles/10.3389/fevo.2024.1452427 DOI=10.3389/fevo.2024.1452427 ISSN=2296-701X ABSTRACT=Drought is considered one of the most critical abiotic environmental stresses and limits plant growth, development, and productivity. It constitutes a real threat to humanity, especially in dry areas worldwide. Plants manage the negative effects of drought through a complex set of related mechanisms. Knowledge of plant responses and adaptation is more meaningful in plant breeding and genetics for improving drought resistance species. This review will focus on drought response mechanisms and drought adaptation, providing examples from plant species differing in their life-form, including herbaceous and woody plants. Additionally, the potential role of enhancing plant drought responses will be emphasized. This review is of potential significance to researchers and those who wish to obtain a glimpse into plant behavior under drought conditions.