Neco Model Questions Vol1 2018 Biology Question 9

A desert shrub has leaves with a total surface area of \(150\ \text{cm}^2\). The stomatal conductance of a typical leaf is \(g_s = 0.2\ \text{mol m}^{-2}\text{s}^{-1}\), and the vapor pressure deficit (VPD) between the leaf interior and the air is \(1.5\ \text{kPa}\). Transpiration rate \(E\) (mol H\(_2\)O s\(^{-1}\)) is given by \(E = g_s \times \text{VPD} \times A\), where \(A\) is leaf area in \(\text{m}^2\). The shrub has evolved (i) a waxy cuticle that reduces effective stomatal conductance by \(40\%\) and (ii) a leaf orientation that reduces the effective leaf area exposed to sunlight by \(30\%\). Determine the new transpiration rate after both adaptations and the percentage reduction in water loss compared to the original rate.