EVSC 1200 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Photosynthesis, Homeothermy, Limiting Factor

• School: University of Virginia
• Department: Environmental Sciences
• Course: EVSC 1200
• Professor: Thomas Smith

Document Summary

Premise: the set of characteristics that enable an organism to survive, grow and reproduce under one set of environmental conditions preclude it from doing equally well under different environmental conditions. Patterns of carbon allocation and growth for plants adapted to dry/wet conditions. Light compensation point light level at which photosynthesis = respiration and that net photosynthesis = 0. Light saturation point light level above which no further increase in photosynthesis can occur. Sun adapted species have a higher light compensation point and a higher light saturation point than shade-adapted species. (also much higher rate of net photosynthesis) Patterns of carbon allocation for sun and shade adapted plant species. Plants from shaded environmental conditions allocate more of their carbon to the production of leaves and produce broader, thinner leaves. This functions to increase the surface are of leaves and the capture of the limiting resource light. This increased allocation to leaves is at the expense of root production.