EVSC 1200 Lecture Notes - Lecture 5: Drought Deciduous, Benthic Zone, Plant Litter
18 Feb 2016
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Document Summary
Net carbon gain (whole plant) = carbon uptake carbon loss. Dependent on the rate of photosynthesis per unit of leaf and also on the total amount of leaves. Carbon loss function of the total plant mass (leaves + stem + roots) Carbon allocation process by which plants allocate the carbon taken up in photosynthesis to the production of new tissues. Whatever nutrient is in short supply is the nutrient that the plant will expend the most energy to acquire. (ie water roots, carbon leaves (trunk), light trunk) Fastest growth rate would be maintained if the plant allocated all of its carbon to the production of leaves. However, if resources are low, the plant must allocate the carbon to the production of tissues that can help to reach these resources. Broadleaf environmental conditions are favorable for plant growth all year. Needle-leaf environmental conditions result in low rates of photosynthesis (longer period needed to pay back the cost of leaf production)
