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During a severe drought, the soil becomes dry and its water potential decreases. Many plants will wilt in such an environment. Consider that the overall water potential for a system is represented by the equation: \Psisystem \(=\Psi\) total \(=\Psi_{S}+\Psi_{P}+\Psi_{g}+\Psi_{m}\) What is one reason that plants are unable to draw water from the soil? a. The water potential of the soil becomes lower than the water potential of the plants. b. The water potential of the soil becomes lower than the solute potential of the plants. c. The water potential of the soil becomes higher than the water potential of the plants. d. The solute potential of the soil becomes lower than the water potential of the plants.

Short Answer

Expert verified
a. The water potential of the soil becomes lower than the water potential of the plants.

Step by step solution

01

Understand the concepts

The equation \(\Psi\text{system} = \Psi\text{total} = \Psi_{S} + \Psi_{P} + \Psi_{g} + \Psi_{m}\)represents the total water potential of a system, where \(\Psi_{S}\) is solute potential, \(\Psi_{P}\) is pressure potential, \(\Psi_{g}\) is gravitational potential, and \(\Psi_{m}\) is matric potential. Water moves from an area of higher water potential to an area of lower water potential.
02

Analyze the effect of drought

During a drought, the soil becomes dry and its water potential decreases significantly because the water content in the soil decreases, reducing the water potential.
03

Compare water potentials

As a result of the drought, the water potential of the soil becomes lower than the water potential of the plants. Since water moves from higher to lower water potential, plants in such environments cannot draw water from the soil.
04

Choose the correct option

The most suitable answer would be the one that correctly states the relationship between soil and plant water potentials under drought conditions. Therefore, the answer is: a. The water potential of the soil becomes lower than the water potential of the plants.

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Key Concepts

These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.

water potential equation
Water potential is a fundamental concept in plant physiology, denoted generally as \(\Psi\). It determines the direction in which water moves. The water potential equation is expressed as: \[\Psi_{\text{system}} = \Psi_{\text{total}} = \Psi_{S} + \Psi_{P} + \Psi_{g} + \Psi_{m}\]\

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Modified organs are part of survival strategies of plants. Which of these plants has a flattened, photosynthetic stem that could be mistaken for a leaf? a. fern b. cactus c. potato d. iris

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