Aron Bothman Illustration header image 1

Diagram: Foliar Uptake

January 30th, 2009 · All, Flash, Illustration, Infographics, Scientific Illustration

Diagram: Foliar Uptake

Foliar Uptake

This is a diagram for a paper on foliar uptake in plants — a phenomenon whereby plants absorb moisture directly through the leaves (which is rare, since that’s usually what roots are for; however, you can see this happen sometimes in foggy areas).  Emily Limm from the Dawson Lab at Berkeley did a trial on ten common redwood plants, with results as shown in this diagram.  The down arrows represent the degree to which foliar uptake happens; the up arrows represent the amount of moisture that leaves the plant overnight via the leaves.  Under review for publication in Oecologia.