Suppose a forest is cut down and replaced with cornfields.How would evapotranspiration rates be likely to change in this situation, if at all?
A) Rates would not change, because corn also carries out evapotranspiration.
B) Rates would increase, because corn is much more productive than trees.
C) Rates would increase, because replanting corn every year increases evapotranspiration.
D) Rates would decrease, because only trees, not herbaceous plants, can undergo evapotranspiration.
E) Rates would decrease, because the corn surface area undergoing evapotranspiration is much smaller than the tree surface area.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Evapotranspiration is a combination of evaporation from soil and transpiration from plants. Trees have a greater surface area and more leaves than cornfields, which makes them more effective evapotranspirers. Cornfields have a much smaller surface area of evapotranspiration than the original forest, which would result in decreased evapotranspiration rates. Therefore, the correct answer is E.

Suppose a Forest Is Cut Down and Replaced with Cornfields