Transpiration
The process by which water evaporates from plant leaves through stomata. Transpiration drives water movement from roots to leaves and helps cool the plant.
Used in the Books
This term appears in 2 chapters:
"... if you can't move them. --- How the Tree Does It: The Mechanism Now for the technical explanation that solves the mystery. The mechanism: transpiration pull (transpiration = water evaporating from leaves). Water evaporates from leaf surfaces through microscopic openings called stomata** (tiny po..."
"The root gets a 72-hour head start. Why? Because the shoot will immediately start losing water through transpiration (evaporation from leaves). If roots aren't already established and pulling water, the seedling dehydrates and dies."
Biological Context
A large tree can transpire hundreds of liters of water daily. The transpiration stream carries dissolved minerals from roots to leaves. Stomata balance water loss against CO2 uptake for photosynthesis. Drought stress occurs when transpiration exceeds water uptake.
Business Application
Organizational transpiration: the constant outflow of resources (cash, talent, attention) that drives circulation through the system. Too much transpiration without adequate intake causes organizational drought stress.