ZIMSEC O Level Combined Science Notes:Factors affecting rate of transpiration
- The rate of transpiration varies from plant to plant and day to day.
- Environmental factors affect the rate of transpiration for example wind, heat, dry air and light all speed up the transpiration process.
- Plants that have many large leaves will lose more water than plants with fewer and smaller leaves.
- This is because water loss in plants increases where the surface area is larger.
- There are microscopic holes on the surface of plant leaves.
- These are called stomata.
- Leaves with a higher number of stomata per square centimeter (that is a higher stomata density) lose more water than leaves with fewer stomata.
- Transpiration occurs at a higher rate in plants that have not adapted to drier conditions.
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