How plants reduce water loss Year 11 Senior Science – Water for Living How plants reduce water loss

Our limited water budget Remember there ‘s only a limited amount of water on Earth Plants cannot move and find water like animals Plants can only receive water from nature So many plants have ways to save water or conserve water or reduce water loss These ways are adaptations because they help the plant survive better in its environment

How do plants lose water? Plants lose water through their leaves. In their leaves, there are holes called stomates. Stomates let the plant “breathe” in and out oxygen and carbon dioxide. Water evaporates from stomates. When stomates are opened, water is lost. When stomates are closed, water is not lost.

Thick cuticle on leaves Like humans and other animals, plants have “skin” or epidermis. Plants also have a cuticle on top of the epidermis to protect it. Some plants have a thick cuticle. The thick cuticle reduces the amount of water lost in leaves. Thick cuticle traps the water that is lost through opened stomates.

Hair on leaves Some plants have hairy leaves. The hairs makes it more humid around the leaves so less water is lost.

Number of stomates & time they open Some plants have less stomates. Some plants have stomates on the underside of their leaves. This means less sunlight will shine on the stomates so less water will be lost. Some plants only open their stomates at night when it is cooler.

Reduced leaves Some plants have reduced leaves. This means their leaves have shrunken into spines. Reduced leaves have less area for stomates. Less stomates mean less water loss.

Dropping leaves in drought Some trees drop their leaves when in drought. No leaves means no stomates which means a lot less water is lost.