ABSTRACT
Evaporation of water is a critical environment process.
Evaporation is the physical process of converting liquid
water into vapor and the release of large amounts of energy
during this conversion process. The cooling that results
from the energy released during evaporation benefits ani-
mals, humans, and plants. As an example, in humans when
the air is humid and the evaporation process is slowed we
feel uncomfortable because of this lack of cooling. This
release of energy provides a benefit that includes maintain-
ing temperatures within critical limits for optimum physio-
logical function. The application of the evaporation
process to plants and plant communities has some added
dimensions compared with that to animals or humans.
Plants have roots that extend into the soil and extract
water from deeper regions of the soil profile. This water
is transported through the vascular tissue contained in
roots, stems, and leaves and is released to the atmosphere
through stomata. These stomata serve as the sites for the
evaporation process to occur within the leaf with water
moving through the stomata into the atmosphere. This
special process of evaporation from plants is referred to
as transpiration.
