Given below are two statements :
Statement I: The forces generated by transpiration can lift a xylem-sized column of water over 130 meters height.
Statement II: Transpiration cools leaf surfaces sometimes 10 to 15 degrees, by evaporative cooling. In the light of the above statements, choose the most appropriate answer from the options given below :
Both Statement I and Statement II are correct.
Both Statement I and Statement II are incorrect
Statement I is correct but Statement II is incorrect.
Statement I is incorrect but Statement II is correct.
Statement I is correct because transpiration, the process of water loss from plants through stomata, creates a pulling force that can generate enough tension to lift a column of water in the xylem to considerable heights. This phenomenon is known as the transpiration pull or cohesion-tension theory.
Statement II is also correct because transpiration, as water evaporates from the leaf surfaces, leads to evaporative cooling. This cooling effect helps regulate leaf temperature and can lower leaf surface temperatures by 10 to 15 degrees Celsius.
Option 1 is the correct answer.