Plant Growth and Environmental Factors

Plant Growth and Environmental Factors

• Wind Impact on Plants: Wind negatively impacts plant growth primarily by increasing transpiration rates, leading to dehydration and wilting. Soil erosion, the spread of diseases and pests, and disrupted photosynthesis are also negative effects.

• Optimizing Plant Temperature: Farmers can optimize plant temperature by using windbreaks to create stable microclimates, applying biostimulants to improve cold tolerance and irrigation management, and monitoring soil and air temperatures to determine optimal planting and harvesting times.

• Plant Transpiration and Cooling: Plants regulate transpiration and cooling by using their roots to absorb water and transport it to the leaves, where it evaporates.

Plant Physiology and Temperature

• Temperature and Plant Metabolism: Plant metabolism is heavily influenced by temperature. Optimal growth occurs within a specific temperature range. Temperature becomes increasingly inefficient for plant growth at temperatures above and below the optimum.

• Wind Effects on Plants: Two main factors determine wind's impact on plants: wind force and persistence. Strong winds can damage plants physically, while lasting winds cause stress and water loss due to increased transpiration. Considerations for protecting vulnerable plants involve selecting windbreak plants with appropriate branching structures, leaf types, and resilience to wind stress.

• Stomata Function: Stomata are specialized cells in plants that regulate the amount of water vapor released from the plant. They play a key role in controlling transpiration.

• Temperature and Photosynthesis: Photosynthesis is most efficient at optimal temperatures, decreasing at both very high and very low temperatures.

• Thermometer Types: Simple thermometers measure current temperature, while maximum-minimum thermometers record the highest and lowest temperatures over a period of time.

• Environmental Factors Influencing Plant Life: The four main categories of environmental factors impacting plant life are climatic, edaphic (soil-related), physiographic (landform-related) and biotic (living organism-related) factors.

• Temperature Scales: Centigrade (Celsius) and Fahrenheit are the two main temperature scales used. Centigrade measures freezing at 0° and boiling at 100°, while Fahrenheit measures freezing at 32° and boiling at 212°.

• Adverse High Temperature Effects: High temperatures can kill plants and increase transpiration rates, leading to excessive water loss.