Every season the plants look different but why do seasons affect what plants do?

How do the seasons affect plants?Seasons affect photosynthesis, which is the process of a plant using carbon dioxide, water, and sunlight and turning it into oxygen and sugar. It's a combination of temperature and the amount of sunlight so that the process plants use through out the year is able be used for the trees' benefit and health so it can continue to grow. ! ! The first variable in plants' success in its growth is temperature it's one of the most important necessities of a plant."During sunny and cool days (below 45 degrees) gradually vines going into the leaf close preventing sugars from moving out" (Herbarium, 2012).What this is saying is that the temperature does affect what a plant does. This quote came from a study done at Butler University a few years ago showing that when it gets cold the plant senses it and starts the process of storing. ! ! Although temperature does impact a plant's photosynthetic rate it is not the only variable. The amount of sunlight a plant gets is also a variable in photosynthesis. In "Why leaves change color" they describe that "As the days grow shorter and colder leaves stop making their food and nitrogen and phosphorus are withdrawn and stored in twigs" (Herbarium,2012). This shows that as the days get shorter the sun sets quicker so the plants don't get the light they need to make food so in response they do what animals do in the winter time. They store the nitrogen and phosphorus, which is essential for the plant to grow, in the twigs and then because there's nothing left in the leaves to keep them alive they die and fall of the tree/plant. As you can see in figure 1 as the season transitions from summer to fall the rate wavers. It shows that in October going into November there is a huge drop in the photosynthetic rate ! and this is because of the temperature drop and the drop in the amount of sunlight the plants are exposed to.! ! What does all of this do for the tree? Why is it so important that there's a specific process Through out the year? "Trees must have some sort of protection to survive freezing temperatures and other harsh wintertime influences. Stems, twigs, and buds are equipped to survive extreme cold so that they can reawaken when spring heralds the start of another growing season" (Anderson,2011)By going through the process of photosynthesis and then slowing down the photosynthetic rate the plant is able to survive harsh weather and be ready to grow and harvest in the spring once more.! ! In conclusion the photosynthetic rate of a plant is not only affected by temperature but also the amount if sunlight exposed to the plant. As seasons change and the days get colder and shorter the photosynthetic rate is slowed so that the tree is able to store the nutrients needed to start growing and producing again in the springtime. It's important to know this so that we understand why it's important to preserve plants because without the cycle that plants take they would die and not be able to produce oxygen for us to live on.! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

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