Surface Area to Volume Ratios in Plants (Arid vs. Moist Environments) The ability of plants to survive in certain environments depends on many abiotic factors such as the amount of water or light available. It is important to look at how these factors affect the growth and survival of plants in order to determine their future success. In today’s day and age, with the environment under constant pressures such as pollution and global warming it is crucial to investigate aspects such as how much water loss or water intake a plant can withsta ....