B9 - Water Xylem

How many water characteristics are relevant to plant life

9

Miscellaneous water properties

Water is abundant

Solid form of water is lighter than liquid form

Chemistry water properties

Able to donate H+ and electrons(photosynthesis)

Excellent solvent of other polar molecules

Water transport and biomechanics water properties

Suitable viscosity

Virtually incompressible(allows turgor pressure)

High tensile strength

Heat balance water properties

High heat of vaporization

High heat capacity

Why is turgor important?

Growth, Support, and Movement

Draw the global hydrologic cycle where water is and where it moves. Show how vegetation fits into the cycle

hydrologic global scale

Large role in modulating global temperature because of the three water phases(solid, liquid, gas)

Nitrogen hydrologic cycles

Internal cycling strong, high degree of biological control

Carbon hydrologic cycle

flows through the system, biological control by all trophic levels

H2O hydrologic cycle

tends to flow through system, biological control is mainly by photoautotrophsg

List the compartments water passes through in the SPAC

Soil, Hairs/Mycorrhizae, Rt Cortex, Xylem, Stomata, Atmosphere

SPAC (Soil Plant Atmosphere Continuum)

Describes the paths, through six compartments, through which water moves in plants. There are many point along the SPAC that controls water flow.

root hair

modified epidermal cells that water enters into. Provide extra absorption area for water and nutrients

Root cortex

water gets into the xylem through the mycorrhizae and root hairs. Once in the xylem, stays all the way to the leaf cells.

sapwood

portion of the cross-section that trasports water

heartwood

portion of the cross section that doesn't transport water.

heartwood vs sapwood

ring-porous hardwood

has distinct earlywood and late wood large diameter vessels

diffuse-porous wood

does not have distinct early and Lakewood

vessel element

cells in the xylem that transport water

vapor pressure deficit (VPD)

how rapidly atmosphere can take water