The Effects of the Number of Leaves on

the Rate of Transpiration of Plants1

Jessika Raven U. Dacquel

Kristina Angela Balandan
Aileen Fay M. Villegas
Krizette D. C. Dea
Group 3 Sec. G 2L

March 23, 2011

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1
A scientific paper submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements in General
Biology II laboratory under Mr. Jae B. Rodriguez, 2nd sem., 2010-2011.

INTRODUCTION
Background of the Study
Plants are very essential to life. Without plants, life on earth could not exist for
they are the primary source of food for humans and animals. They are also the major
source of oxygen on this planet.
Most plants are made up of four basic parts: leaves, stems, roots, and flowers. The
leaves are the food factory of the plant, producing all food that is used by the plant and
stored for later use in the process of photosynthesis (Shry & Reiley, 2007).
Aside from photosynthesis, transpiration can also happen on plant leaves. It is a
process wherein plants lose water vapor. According to Pallardy (2008):
It is a dominant factor in plant water relations because evaporation of
water produces the energy gradient that causes movement of water through
plants. It, therefore, controls the rate of absorption and the ascent of sap and
causes almost daily leaf deficits.
Certain factors affect the rate of transpiration. These are classified into two: the
external or the environmental factors and the internal factors. External factors include
light, temperature, atmospheric humidity, atmospheric pressure, availability of soil water
and wind velocity. On the other hand, internal factors include root shoot ratio, leaf area,
stomatal frequency and leaf structure (Misra & Bajaj, 1999).
In an experiment conducted by General Biology II students in the University of
the Philippines Los Baos, the rate of transpiration of plants was tested. Two set ups
were used: in one set up, oil was put on the surface of the leaves; and the other set up
served as the control. Each plant was covered with plastic and after minutes of
observation, the control set up produced moisture on the cover while the other did not.
2

This showed that the plant underwent transpiration since no substance blocked the
movement of water vapor out of the leaves.
This led for the researchers to test the rate of transpiration of plants in another
condition: the number of leaves present. The researchers hypothesized that the more
leaves a plant has, the faster is the rate of transpiration.

Statement of the Problem / Objectives

This study aimed to determine the effects of the number of leaves on the rate of
transpiration of plants. Thus, the following specific objectives are:
1. to determine the effects of the number of leaves on the rate of transpiration of
a plant (i.e. Ageratum conyzoides or bulak manok); and
2. to enumerate the importance of the number of leaves of plants in agriculture.
This study was made on March 14, 2011 at Rm. C 113, Institute of Biological
Sciences, University of the Philippines Los Baos.

Significance of the Study

Scope and Limitations of the Study

This study focused on determining the effects of the number of leaves on the rate
of transpiration of plants. Thus, no other plant part was used. The plant called bulak
manok (Ageratum conyzoides) was observed in this study for 60 minutes.

REFERENCES
Misra, S. & Bajaj, G. (1999). Competition science vision. New Delhi: Atul Kapoor.
Pallardy, S. G. (2008). Physiology of woody plants. USA: Elsevier Inc.
Shry, C. & Reiley, E. (2007). Introductory horticulture. USA: Delmar.