When half the leaves are removed randomly, transpiration will show

Options

A. Higher magnitude but lower flux or rate per unit
B. Lower magnitude but higher flux
C. Both magnitude and flux increase
D. Both magnitude and flux decrease .

Answer

To solve the question regarding the effects of removing half the leaves on transpiration, we can break it down into the following steps:

### Step-by-Step Solution:

1. **Understanding Transpiration**:
- Transpiration is the process through which water vapor is lost from the aerial parts of plants, primarily through small openings called stomata located on the leaves.

2. **Effect of Leaf Removal on Magnitude**:
- Magnitude refers to the total amount of water transpired. When half of the leaves are removed, the total surface area available for transpiration is reduced. Therefore, the overall quantity of water lost (magnitude) will decrease.

3. **Effect of Leaf Removal on Flux**:
- Flux is defined as the amount of water transpired per unit area of leaf surface per unit time. With fewer leaves, the plant may increase the rate of transpiration through the remaining leaves to compensate for the loss of water. Thus, the flux (rate per unit area) will increase.

4. **Conclusion**:
- After analyzing both the magnitude and the flux, we conclude that when half the leaves are removed:
- The magnitude of transpiration decreases (due to reduced leaf area).
- The flux of transpiration increases (as the plant compensates for the loss of leaves).

5. **Final Answer**:
- Therefore, the correct answer to the question is that transpiration will show lower magnitude but higher flux.