Planetagarden
Desiccation, in a broad sense, is what happens when a great deal of moisture is removed from a substance. Whether that substance is a gas or a solid, it's the same process.
- What is meant by desiccation?
- What prevents desiccation in plants?
- What is winter desiccation?
- What is desiccation of soil?
- Why is desiccation effective?
- What leads to desiccation in plants?
- What can survive desiccation?
- What is desiccation stress?
- How can we prevent desiccation?
What is meant by desiccation?
Desiccation (from Latin de- "thorougly" + siccare "to dry") is the state of extreme dryness, or the process of extreme drying. A desiccant is a hygroscopic (attracts and holds water) substance that induces or sustains such a state in its local vicinity in a moderately sealed container.
What prevents desiccation in plants?
In order to tolerate desiccation, any cell with a large, water-filled vacuole must overcome or limit the mechanical stress caused by its shrinking during drying. The cell walls of some resurrection plants have special adaptations that promote folding to reduce the mechanical stress caused by desiccation.
What is winter desiccation?
Winter desiccation is a common type of winter injury that occurs when the amount of water lost by the foliage exceeds the amount picked up by the roots. All trees lose water during normal metabolic processes, even in winter. ... Other common terms for this type of injury are winter burn, winter drying or winter scorch.
What is desiccation of soil?
Desiccated soils • Desiccation means To make or become free of moisture, dry (out), dehydrate. • So desiccated soil means the soil that is free from all moisture.
Why is desiccation effective?
Preservation is possible because the greatly reduced water content inhibits the action of microorganisms and enzymes that would normally spoil or degrade the substance. ... Bacteria, yeasts, and molds need the water in the food to grow, and drying effectively prevents them from surviving in food.
What leads to desiccation in plants?
Winter desiccation happens when one of two situations is present. In one, the plant is rooted in frozen ground, but is trying to continue its metabolic processes anyway. In the other, there's an external force removing more moisture than the plant would normally release, like a very dry wind.
What can survive desiccation?
Desiccation tolerant plants include Craterostigma plantagineum, Lindernia brevidens and Ramonda serbica. Desiccation sensitive plants include members of Arabidopsis genus, Lindernia subracemosa, Gossypium hirsutum, Triticum aestivum and Zea mays.
What is desiccation stress?
Desiccation, the equilibration of an organism to the relative humidity of the surrounding atmosphere, is an intense stress factor that in most phototrophic organisms produces high mortality.
How can we prevent desiccation?
To prevent desiccation injury, deeply water susceptible narrow and broadleaf evergreens in fall if the soil is dry. Continue watering on a regular basis until the ground freezes in winter. Watering is especially important to evergreens planted in the last 2 or 3 years.
