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ELECTRONICALLY OR MECHANICALLY

LBYPLNT (General Botany Laboratory)

ACTIVITY 12: TRANSPIRATION AND WATER CONDUCTION

I. Introduction

Transpiration is the loss of water in the form of water vapor from the leaves of
plants through the stomata. It is necessary because it is the mechanism by which
water and the dissolved solutes are transported to all parts of the plant. It is also
unavoidable in the sense that the leaves must have gas exchange with the
environment in order to acquire carbon dioxide for photosynthesis.

II. Objectives

At the end of this exercise, the student will be able to:

1. determine the effects of some physical factors on the transpiration rate;

2. identify some morphological characteristics that can affect transpiration rate;
and
3. compare rates of transpiration between herbaceous and woody dicot plants.

III. Methods

SECTION A. EFFECT OF SOME ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS ON

TRANSPIRATION RATE

Observe the experiment in this link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gXocZZDDPaw

Use of an Improvised Potometer (Perform the experiment)

1. Select 1 herbaceous plant and 1 woody plant.

2. Select a twig with 3-4 intact leaves towards the tip.
3. Cover the selected twig with clear, undamaged ice bag cellophane making
sure that the leaves are well exposed inside the bag.
4. Secure the ice bag with tape or rubber band, making sure the bag is
completely sealed.
5. Do #3 and #4 for three (3) twigs per plant type.
6. Allow several hours for transpiration to happen, until you can get
measurable water inside the bag. Keep note of the time.

DLSU/BIOLOGY/ BOTANY PLC/ LBYPLNT_rev_T1_2021-2022

 7. Remove the ice bag from the plant, making sure to shake the leaf for more
moisture to drop and saving all transpired water in the bag. Measure in ml
using dropper.
8. Remove all enclosed leaves in the bag for measuring the leaf surface area.
In leaf trace method, multiply the number of full squares by 1 cm2 and
partial squares by 0.5 cm2 and add them together. Then, convert the
number from cm2 to m2.

Calculation of Leaf Surface Area:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBzUd5kXJIw

9. Calculate the water loss per square meter of leaf surface by dividing the
water loss taken per plant by the leaf surface area you calculated.
10. Calculate the rate of transpiration (mL/sqm/min).
11. Tabulate your results.
12. Record the averages of the group.
13. Discuss your results.

Water loss in
Total Leaf Water Loss Water Loss
Plant plant/min
area (m2) (mL) in mL/m2
(mL/m2/min)
Herbaceous Plant

Twig1
Twig2
Twig3

Woody Plant

Twig1

Twig2
Twig3

Water loss
Ave leaf area Water loss Water Loss
Plant in plant/time
(sqm) (mL) in mL/m2
(mL/m2/min)
Herbaceous Plant

DLSU/BIOLOGY/ BOTANY PLC/ LBYPLNT_rev_T1_2021-2022

 Woody Plant

SECTION B. USE OF COBALT CHLORIDE PAPER

Another method of measuring the transpiration rate is using cobalt chloride paper.
This paper is impregnated with cobalt chloride and it is blue when dry and pink
when moist. The time it takes for the blue cobalt chloride paper to change to
standard pink coloration when the paper is held against a leaf surface can be taken
as a comparative measure of transpiration rate.

1. Observe the experiments in this link:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kV2FPWai9Y (1:50-6:00)
2. Record the results of Experiments 2 and 3 in a table.
3. Discuss the results.

SECTION C. RISE OF THE TRANSPIRATION STREAM (WITH PHOTO

DOCUMENTATION) (Perform the experiment)

1. Prepare a solution with red dye by immersing a tablespoon of atsuete seeds

in 100ml of water. You may also use any fabric color dye. Divide the liquid
solution in 2 clear (drinking) glasses.
2. Cut a celery stem (previously immersed in water) from about 20cm below
the most mature leaf. Transfer the stem in one of the glasses with the dye
solution.
3. Do the same for a santan leafy stem/branch or any small woody dicot.
4. Transfer the stems immediately into the glasses with the solutions, not
leaving them in open air for a long time.
5. Start the transfer of the two stems at the same time. Leave them in the
solutions for about 30 minutes.
6. After 30 minutes, remove the stems from the solutions.
7. Cut longitudinally from the base to the tip of the stem.
8. Measure the distance (cm) travelled by the red dye and compute for rate of
movement in centimeters per minute (cm/min).
9. Tabulate your results.
10. Make a cross section along the mid-part of the stems and observe where
the transport of the dye may have occurred.
11. Draw and highlight where the dye is found within the stem in cross and
longitudinal section.

DLSU/BIOLOGY/ BOTANY PLC/ LBYPLNT_rev_T1_2021-2022

Guide Questions:

1. What are some of the environmental factors which influence the rate of
transpiration?
2. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the transpiration process in
plants?
3. What strategies have evolved by which plants are able to reduce their
transpiration rates and thus conserve water?
4. What tissue/s did you find the dye along the stem?

Instructions:

1.The output of this activity is a SCIENTIFIC PAPER

2. Compose the Materials and Methods section as if you conducted the
experiments yourself.
3. Answer the guide questions and include it in a separate paragraph under
Results and Discussion section.

Submission Note:
1. Save the document in x.pdf format with the file name:
Section_Group#_ Activity# (ex. N03_Group5_Activity12)

2. Upload the file to the corresponding module under the submission page in
the CANVAS.

Table of Contributions: Indicate the work contribution of the group members below.
Member with no participation will be graded zero (0).

Name Contribution Remarks

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

COPYRIGHT OF THIS MATERIAL (except video links) BELONGS TO:

Biology Department
De La Salle University

DLSU/BIOLOGY/ BOTANY PLC/ LBYPLNT_rev_T1_2021-2022