The effect of wind speed on the rate of transpiration.

The first 200 words of this essay...

The effect of wind speed on the rate of transpiration.

I was asked to design an experiment to investigate the effect wind or air movement on leaves on the rate of transpiration. Most of the water entering a plant does so via the root hairs. It travels across the root cortex to the xylem, ascends in the xylem to the leaves and is lost by evaporation from the surface of the mesophyll cells before diffusing out through the stomata. This process is called transpiration, and the flow of water from the roots to the transpiring surfaces forms the transpiration stream.

Apparatus

1 plant pot with plant

1 electronic scale

1 anemometer

1 thermometer

1 hydrometer

1 Stopwatch

1 meter stick

1 fan

1 plastic bag

I will start the experiment by first wrapping the plant pot/plant roots in the plastic bag. This is to prevent water loss via evaporation, I don't want this to happen because I am trying to measure transpiration and it will interfere with my experiment dramatically. Then I will weigh the plant pot/ plant using an electronic scale, which should be very accurate. I