An Integrated Absorption–Transpiration and Pigment Energy Framework

Abstract

Plant coloration is a visible manifestation of complex physiological, biochemical, and environmental interactions that regulate pigment synthesis, retention, and degradation. While the molecular pathways of chlorophylls, carotenoids, anthocyanins, and betalains are well established, existing models often treat pigment regulation independently from whole-plant resource uptake, transport dynamics, and loss processes. This study presents an integrative, dimensionally consistent framework for plant color generation and stability by explicitly linking absorption dynamics, biomass balance, pigment biochemistry, and transpiration-driven loss processes.

A phenomenological Absorption–Transpiration Balance (AE–TE) is introduced to capture the dynamic equilibrium between resource acquisition and loss, and its influence on pigment stability. Building on mass-flow principles and optical absorption theory, a refined plant color energy rate equation is formulated that integrates photosynthetically active radiation, physiological stress modifiers, pigment-specific absorption properties, and transport–loss balance.

The framework is not intended as a predictive color model but as a biologically interpretable systems-level index that explains color fading and intensification under varying environmental conditions. The formulation aligns with empirical observations from plant physiology, spectroscopy, and recent computational and imaging-based studies of plant color dynamics. This integrative approach provides a robust conceptual foundation for agricultural diagnostics, ecological assessment, and future experimental validation.