Prep notes for Sept 28, 2004: water transport
This should be a relatively straightforward meeting to prep for. Mostly
you should get as detailed and logically consistent an understanding as
you can of xylem anatomy and of the adhesion-cohesion mechanism of water
transport.
Concepts: water potential, xylem anatomy, surface tension,
resistance, adhesion-cohesion mechanism of water transport, Scholander
pressure bomb, cavitation and embolism
Questions:
- What factors determine water potential?
- Besides the Scholander pressure bomb, how might water potential in a
branch be measured?
- How does water potential vary spatially within the plant?
- How does water potential vary over a 24-hour cycle?
- How does water potential vary across environments?
- What anatomical features affect water potential?
- What anatomical features affect cavitation risk?
- How does water transport limit the maximum height of trees? What
anatomical features determine maximum height?
- What are some problems with the adhesion-cohesion hypothesis?
Last updated by Ted
Wong, 9/28/2004