Summary
Revisits the water cycle with a focus on living things — specifically transpiration from plants and how the biosphere actively participates in moving water through the hydrologic cycle.
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All ages
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Teaching resources
Discussion questions
Discussion
- What is transpiration? How is it different from evaporation?
- How much water do forests release into the atmosphere through transpiration?
- What would happen to local rainfall patterns if a large forest were cut down?
- Why do scientists consider forests 'pumps' that drive the water cycle?
Quick work-a-long
Vocabulary: transpiration, evaporation, hydrologic cycle, stomata, water vapor, forest.
Try it: Place a clear plastic bag around a leafy houseplant branch and seal it. Leave it in sunlight for two hours. What collects inside the bag? That is transpiration — the plant is releasing water vapor through its leaves.