Does Leaf Surface Area Affect the Rate of Transpiration in a Plant?

Authors Avatar

Biology Coursework                  Fiona Hibbard

Does Leaf Surface Area Affect the Rate of Transpiration in a Plant?

Aim:

The aim of my investigation is to find out if the leaf surface area affects the rate of transpiration in a plant.

Variables:

The variables of this experiment are;-

  • The leaf surface area
  • Temperature of the surrounding air
  • The speed and amount of wind
  • The amount of light

Environmental Factors:

Temperature of air

The temperature of the air affects the rate of transpiration. If it is a hot day then the heat will evaporate some of the water and then the leaf will have less water and so it will increase the rate at which the leaf can transpire.

Wind

The wind also affects the rate at which a leaf can transpire. When the wind blows it carries hot air under the leaves which carries some of the water vapour, thus increasing the rate of transpiration in the leaf.

Light

When there is a lot of light, a leaf will photosynthesis at a faster rate and so the water is used more and therefore with less water the leaf can also increase the rate at which it transpires.

Humidity

The rate of transpiration increases as the difference in concentration between a substance in the plant and in the air around it increases. When the surrounding air is dry, then more water will leave the leaf faster because the concentration differences are greater.

Soil Water

A plant cannot continue to transpire quickly if its water loss is not made up by a replacement from the soil. When absorption of water by the roots fails to keep up with the rate of transpiration, loss of turgid occurs and the stomata close. This immediately reduces the rate of transpiration (as well as photosynthesis). If the loss of turgid extends to the rest of the leaf and stem and the plant begins to wilt.

Join now!

Prediction:

I think that the rate of transpiration will increase in proportion to the surface area of the leaf.

Hypothesis:

I think that the rate of transpiration will increase in proportion to the surface area of the leaf because the more surface area a leaf has the more stomata it will have. The more stomata there are then the more opportunity for the loss of water making the rate of transpiration faster.

Transpiration is the process of water loss from plants through the stomata. Stomata are small opening found on the underside of the leaves. All plants ...

This is a preview of the whole essay