Articles about photosynthesis in the popular press or online often make me cringe.
Why?
Because sometimes they lead people to think that the oxygen (O2) produced by photosynthesis is derived from carbon dioxide (CO2).
Some even further compound their mistake by stating that plants actually convert CO2 into O2 at night!
Ack!
This is simply NOT [...]
Archive for the ‘Photosynthesis’ Category
Plants Don’t Convert CO2 into O2
Posted in CO2, Photosynthesis, tagged botany, Nature, plants, science on February 16, 2009 | 5 Comments »
Photosynthesis and Global “Weirding” – How Heat and Drought Affect Photosynthesis (part 2)
Posted in CO2, Photosynthesis, Plant Hormones, Plant Stress, tagged botany, global warming, plants, science on February 12, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
As previously mentioned….if most climatologists are correct, then parts of the Earth’s surface may experience increasing episodes of heat and drought as a result of global “weirding”. (see here for a current example)
Some of the effects of heat on photosynthesis was considered in part 1 of this post.
But what about drought (a.k.a., long term water [...]
Photosynthesis and Global “Weirding” – How Heat and Drought Affect Photosynthesis (part 1)
Posted in CO2, Photosynthesis, Plant Stress, tagged botany, global warming, plants, science on February 12, 2009 | Leave a Comment »
If most climatologists are correct, then parts of the Earth’s surface may experience increasing episodes of heat and drought as a result of global “weirding”. (see here for a current example)
In a previous post in this blog, I briefly introduced the complex subject of how increasing atmospheric CO2 may affect plant photosynthesis.
There is some evidence [...]
Plant Gas – How Humans, Insects, and Other Plants May Be Affected
Posted in Photosynthesis, Plant Stress, Secondary Compounds, tagged botany, ecology, global warming, plants, science on November 24, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
Can humans measure photosynthesis on a global scale?
Since plants consume CO2 during photosynthesis, one way is to measure the relative amount of atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) using satellites (click on photo at left for more info).
But plants also release CO2 as a product of respiration. This has confounded efforts to accurately measure photosynthesis at ecosystem [...]
As Carbon Emissions Reach Record Levels, How Will Increased CO2 Affect Photosynthesis in Plants?
Posted in CO2, Photosynthesis, tagged agriculture, botany, climate change, ecology, plants, science on October 4, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions are rising faster than the worst-case scenario postulated by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change ( IPCC ).
In the past 250 years the amount of atmospheric CO2 has increased by over 35% (from 280 to 383 ppm), due mainly to human activities such as deforestation and the burning of fossil fuels. [...]
