Plant Transpiration Lab

Conditions on Plant Transpiration of Pinus Strobus

In this lab we investigated the effects of different environmental factors on the transpiration of pinus strobus braches. Transpiration is the evaporative water loss from a plant that takes place in the leaf. The hypothesis was that increased light, wind, and heat would all increase the rate of transpiration. Decreased heat and light would decrease transpiration. Four groups were set up to test the effects of wind by a fan, increased heat by a heat pad, and decreased temperature with a cold water bath, and increased light and one group set up a control plant at ambient conditions. The results indicate that increased wind and the decrease in heat all increased the rate of transpiration. The increase in heat and light all decreased the rate of transpiration.

Transpiration is the evaporative water loss from the plant. Transpiration takes place in the mesophyll of the leaf. Evaporation creates a physical force called water potential, which pulls the water through the xylem tubes up from the root to the leaves by way of the xylem tubes (Perozzi, Rhoda E., and Gregory M. Plunkett). This suction is ma

To test the hypothesis we used two pine branches. The number of pine needles of each branch was counted and any dead needles were ignored in this count. We placed the branches under water and cut a small portion of the lower stem off. We also set a pipette underwater and filled it with water. Using a clear plastic attachment strip we attached the end of the branch under water to a rubber hose and then connected it to the pipette. The pine branches were set onto the counter and the pipette was placed into a ring stand clamp. Two of these devices were set up for this experiment.

ight had the greatest effect on decreasing the transpiration. The control condition basically had the same rate of transpiration for the whole time.

The question here is what environmental factors affect plant transpiration. The hypothesis tested was that temperature, light, and wind speed would all effect the rate of transpiration with ambient room conditions as the control. If the temperature, wind, and light are increased then the rate of transpiration will increase. If the temperature is decreased then the rate of transpiration will decrease. The null hypothesis is that temperature, wind, and light have no effect on the rate of transpiration.

The results indicate that increased wind has the greatest effect on increasing the rate of transpiration followed by decreased heat. The increased light had the greatest effect on decreasing the rate of transpiration followed by decreased heat. The wind appears to increase the transpiration because it increases the rate of movement of water vapor from the leaf creating the greatest suction and causing the plant to transpire more rapidly (Campbell, Neil A., Jane B. Reece, and Lawrence G. Mitchell)). The decrease of heat increased the rate of tran

Some topics in this essay:
Methods Materials, Lawrence Mitchell, Gregory Plunkett, Strobus Abstract, Introduction Transpiration, rate transpiration, pine branches, heat increased, ten minute, water loss, increased light, increase transpiration, decreased heat, Reece Lawrence, Jane Reece, Neil Jane, Campbell Neil, fifth sixth intervals, lawrence mitchell, sixth intervals, decrease heat increased, jane reece lawrence, neil jane reece, rate transpiration increase, Perozzi Rhoda,