But many different factors can affect those environments. Look at the environment around you. Can you see how plants change throughout the year? How animals survive by eating plants and other animals?

"Now we've got this blueprint for how different plants utilize the sun's energy to survive in different environments," said Joseph Swift, co-first author of the study, per SciTechDaily.

While both studies examined how plants adapt to their environment ... explains Yeaman. "But when different populations inhabit hot versus cold environments (over space), the best strategy is ...