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Desert Leaves
 Water is scarce in the desert, so plants must have ways to conserve it. Try this activity to investigate some strategies.
What You Need
Large bowl of water
3 paper towels
Baking sheet
4 twist ties
Waxed paper or plastic wrap
What to Do
1. Dip each paper towel into the bowl of water. The towels should be damp, but not soaking wet.
2. Put one paper towel on the baking sheet. Lay it out flat.
3. Roll up a second paper towel and use the twist ties to keep it rolled. Place it on the baking sheet.
4. Roll the third paper towel up as in step 3. Wrap this rolled paper towel in waxed paper or plastic wrap. Place it on the baking sheet.
5. After 24 hours, check the towels. Which towel has the most moisture?
How it Works
The flat paper towel will be the driest. This leaf had more of its surface area exposed to the air, so it dried out. The rolled paper towel might still be a bit damp inside. Less of the leafs surface was exposed. The paper towel wrapped in waxed paper or plastic wrap has the most moisture. This leaf is similar to the many desert plants that have waxy coatings to help hold moisture in.
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