Transcript Slide 1

The Mystery of the
Disappearing Lake
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Phragmites austalis
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Phragmites
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Phragmites
Stomata
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Phragmites
Phragmites
Water
loss
Transpiration
Phragmites
Transpiration
Water uptake through roots
Water uptake through roots
So… why is transpiration higher in
Phragmites than native species?
So… why is transpiration higher in
Phragmites than native species?
• Stem density
So… why is transpiration higher in
Phragmites than native species?
• Stomatal density
Stomata
So… why is transpiration higher in
Phragmites than native species?
• Stomatal regulation
So… why is transpiration higher in
Phragmites than native species?
• Dense root system
Detritus: Another piece of the puzzle
• Detritus is dead organic
material from plants or
animals
• Detritus from
Phragmites is very slow
to degrade
• Why might that cause
the lake to get smaller?
Detritus: Another piece of the puzzle
• As detritus
accumulates it starts to
fill in the lake and raise
the level of the land
above the water level