Final answer:
Compensation in plants is the balance between energy produced through photosynthesis and energy consumed in respiration. Full compensation occurs when these rates are equal. Seasonal changes, like shorter days in fall, trigger photoperiodic responses in plants, affecting their growth and development.
Step-by-step explanation:
What is Compensation in Plants?
Compensation in plants refers to the balance between the energy they produce through photosynthesis and the energy they consume in respiration. When plants reach a state of full compensation, it means that the rate of photosynthesis is equal to the rate of respiration. At this point, plants neither gain nor lose biomass from these processes.
Seasonal Changes and Full Compensation
Plants are sensitive to seasonal changes due to their ability to perceive the length of daylight, which is known as photoperiod. As seasons change, the photoperiod triggers various physiological responses such as leaf color changes, dormancy, and flowering. For instance, some plants detect shorter days in the fall, signaling them to prepare for dormancy by changing leaf color and shedding them.
Photoperiodism
Plants use the phytochrome system to sense changes in day length - a phenomenon called photoperiodism. This system helps plants to time flowering, set winter buds, and manage vegetative growth, ensuring their survival through varying seasons.
Example of Photoperiodism
In the fall, as days grow shorter, trees perceive less sunlight. This stimulates the trees to send messages to the leaves to change color and eventually fall off. Short-day plants and long-day plants have different requirements for the length of daylight to trigger flowering, which is another example of photoperiodism.