Name: plant features that limit water loss
Uploaded: 2026-08-26T08:20:34.350Z
Duration: 2 min 35 s
Channel: JoVE

K12 Standards

Virginia  Standards of Learning

HIgh School

Life Science

LS.7

LS.7.b

Adaptations that Reduce Water Loss

Water is critical for plants to photosynthesize, metabolize, and maintain cellular structure. Hence, excessive loss of water is problematic for plants. What adaptations have evolved to allow plants to endure and resist water loss?

Most plants have a waxy cuticle that covers the leaf surface, preventing the evaporation of water. The specific composition of the cuticle influences its water&#xA0;

Tiny openings on the surface, called stomata, facilitate gas exchange and transpiration. To minimize water loss, plants adjust the density and location of stomata on developing leaves in response to water and light availability.&#xA0;

In most deciduous trees, for instance, stomata are located on the undersides of leaves. Additionally, the density of stomata is higher on leaves near the center of the tree and lower on leaves at its periphery.

Conservation of water is especially critical for desert-dwelling plants. The desert shrub brittlebush traps water around its leaves with tiny leaf hairs. These hairs, called trichomes, deflect the sun and diminish the drying effect of wind.

Other desert plants, such as Opuntia, store water in their fleshy stems to protect against drought. In addition, cacti have modified leaves, called spines, that reduce evaporation and dissipate heat.

Plants in arid environments can also reduce evaporation by only taking in carbon dioxide at night. During the day, the stomata remain closed. This process is called crassulacean acid metabolism, or CAM.

Specific leaf architectures may also help reduce water loss. Small or fine leaves reduce evaporation. Grasses acquired rolled or folded leaf structures that likewise reduce surface area and, therefore, evaporation.

Buckley, Thomas N., Grace P. John, Christine Scoffoni i Lawren Sack. "Miejsca parowania w liściach". Fizjologia Roślin 173, nr 3 (2017): 1763-1782. [<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28153921" target="_blank">Źródło</a>]

Borland, et al. "Agroleśnictwo odporne na klimat: fizjologiczne reakcje na zmiany klimatu i inżynieria metabolizmu kwasu gruboszowego (CAM) jako strategia łagodząca." Roślina, Komórka i Środowisko 38, nr 9 (2015): 1833-1849. [<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25366937" target="_blank">Źródło</a>]

Yang X i wsp. Mapa drogowa badań nad metabolizmem kwasu gruboszowego (CAM) w celu zwiększenia zrównoważonej produkcji żywności i bioenergii w cieplejszym i bardziej suchym świecie. Nowy Phytol. 2015 sierpień; 207(3):491-504. [<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26153373" target="_blank">Źródło</a>]

Jalakas, Pirko, Ebe Merilo, Hannes Kollist i Mikael Brosché. "Regulacja gęstości aparatów szparkowych za pośrednictwem ABA jest niezależna od OST1". Plant Direct 2, nr 9 (1 września 2018 r.). [<a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/pld3.82" target="_blank">Źródło</a>]

adaptacje zmniejszające utratę wody

Chocia&#x17C; parowanie z li&#x15B;ci ro&#x15B;lin nap&#x119;dza transpiracj&#x119;, powoduje r&#xF3;wnie&#x17C; utrat&#x119; wody. Poniewa&#x17C; woda ma kluczowe znaczenie dla reakcji fotosyntezy i innych proces&#xF3;w kom&#xF3;rkowych, presja ewolucyjna na ro&#x15B;liny w r&#xF3;&#x17C;nych &#x15B;rodowiskach doprowadzi&#x142;a do nabycia adaptacji, kt&#xF3;re ograniczaj&#x105; utrat&#x119; wody.

W ro&#x15B;linach l&#x105;dowych najwy&#x17C;sza warstwa kom&#xF3;rkowa li&#x15B;cia, zwana nask&#xF3;rkiem, jest pokryta woskow&#x105; substancj&#x105; zwan&#x105; kutykul&#x105;. Ta hydrofobowa warstwa sk&#x142;ada si&#x119; z polimerowej kutyny i innych wosk&#xF3;w pochodzenia ro&#x15B;linnego, kt&#xF3;re s&#x105; syntetyzowane przez kom&#xF3;rki nask&#xF3;rka. Substancje te zapobiegaj&#x105; niepo&#x17C;&#x105;danej utracie wody i przedostawaniu si&#x119; niepotrzebnych substancji rozpuszczonych. Specyficzny sk&#x142;ad i grubo&#x15B;&#x107; nask&#xF3;rka r&#xF3;&#x17C;ni&#x105; si&#x119; w zale&#x17C;no&#x15B;ci od gatunku ro&#x15B;liny i &#x15B;rodowiska. Inne adaptacje li&#x15B;ci mog&#x105; r&#xF3;wnie&#x17C; zminimalizowa&#x107; parowanie, g&#x142;&#xF3;wnie poprzez zmniejszenie powierzchni. Na przyk&#x142;ad niekt&#xF3;re trawy maj&#x105; z&#x142;o&#x17C;on&#x105; struktur&#x119;, kt&#xF3;ra zmniejsza utrat&#x119; wody. Alternatywnie, inne gatunki traw poddawane s&#x105; walcowaniu &#x17A;d&#x17A;b&#x142;a w celu ochrony przed parowaniem. Niekt&#xF3;re ro&#x15B;liny zamieszkuj&#x105;ce pustyni&#x119; maj&#x105; li&#x15B;cie pokryte mikroskopijnymi w&#x142;oskami, kt&#xF3;re zatrzymuj&#x105; par&#x119; wodn&#x105;, ograniczaj&#x105;c w ten spos&#xF3;b parowanie.

Woda paruje g&#x142;&#xF3;wnie przez male&#x144;kie dziurki w li&#x15B;ciach ro&#x15B;lin zwane aparatami szparkowymi. Szparki niekt&#xF3;rych ro&#x15B;lin znajduj&#x105; si&#x119; wy&#x142;&#x105;cznie na dolnej powierzchni li&#x15B;ci, co chroni je przed nadmiernym parowaniem zwi&#x105;zanym z ciep&#x142;em. Inne ro&#x15B;liny zatrzymuj&#x105; par&#x119; wodn&#x105; w pobli&#x17C;u aparat&#xF3;w szparkowych znajduj&#x105;cych si&#x119; w do&#x142;kach na li&#x15B;ciach, zmniejszaj&#x105;c utrat&#x119; wody przez parowanie, poniewa&#x17C; kom&#xF3;rki ochronne otaczaj&#x105;ce otw&#xF3;r szparkowy mog&#x105; wyczuwa&#x107; wilgotno&#x15B;&#x107; wzgl&#x119;dn&#x105;. Niekt&#xF3;re ro&#x15B;liny pustynne otwieraj&#x105; szparki tylko w nocy, kiedy prawdopodobie&#x144;stwo parowania jest mniejsze. Strategia ta nazywa si&#x119; metabolizmem kwasu gruboszowego (CAM) i ro&#x15B;liny, kt&#xF3;re j&#x105; wykorzystuj&#x105;, wychwytuj&#x105; i wi&#x105;&#x17C;&#x105; dwutlenek w&#x119;gla w nocy, a w ci&#x105;gu dnia przeprowadzaj&#x105; zale&#x17C;ne od &#x15B;wiat&#x142;a reakcje fotosyntezy. Niekt&#xF3;rzy naukowcy zaproponowali, aby ro&#x15B;liny bioin&#x17C;ynieryjne oddzieli&#x142;y wi&#x105;zanie w&#x119;gla od fotosyntezy poprzez wykorzystanie CAM jako &#x15B;rodka &#x142;agodz&#x105;cego parowanie zwi&#x105;zane z ociepleniem globalnych temperatur.

Adaptacje zmniejszające utratę wody

Though evaporation from plant leaves drives transpiration, it also results in loss of water. Because water is critical for photosynthetic reactions and ...

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Education

JoVE Core

Biology

Biologia

Plant Biology

Biologia roślin

Plant Structure, Growth and Function

Budowa, wzrost i odżywianie roślin

KEY TERMS AND CONCEPTS

Kluczowe terminy i pojęcia

plant features that limit water loss

Plant features that limit water loss help plants survive in dry or hot environments. Water is needed for photosynthesis and other cell processes, so plants have evolved several ways to slow evaporation from their leaves.

One major barrier is the cuticle, a waxy layer on the leaf epidermis. The epidermis is the outer cell layer, and it makes cutin and other plant waxes that form this hydrophobic coating. The cuticle helps stop water from escaping and also keeps out unwanted solutes. Its thickness and makeup vary with plant species and growing conditions.

Some plants also reduce water loss by changing leaf shape. Certain grasses have folded leaves, and others roll their leaf blades to limit evaporation. Desert plants may have microscopic hairs on their leaves that trap water vapor and slow water loss.

Most water leaves a plant through stomata, which are tiny openings in the leaf. In some plants, stomata are found only on the lower leaf surface, where they are less exposed to heat. Other plants place stomata in pits, where trapped water vapor raises humidity around the guard cells and lowers evaporation.

A few desert plants use Crassulacean Acid Metabolism, or CAM. These plants open their stomata at night, when evaporation is lower, and capture carbon dioxide then. During the day, they carry out the light-dependent reactions of photosynthesis. Scientists have also suggested using CAM in bioengineering to help plants cope with warming global temperatures.

Plant Features That Limit Water Loss

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xylem-and-transpiration-driven-transport-of-resources

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regulation of transpiration by stomata

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adaptations that reduce water loss

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key terms and concepts

Explore leaf cuticle, stomata, leaf shape, hairs, and CAM photosynthesis adaptations that help plants reduce water loss in dry environments.

Plant Features That Limit Water Loss | JoVE K12

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Plant Features That Limit Water Loss

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