GEOG 1403H : 8.pdf
Document Summary
Wednesday we learned something of the details of what we already know: plants produce food. They do so by the process of photosynthesis. Light photons excite the pigments inside chloroplast thylakoids, splitting water, and sending free hydrogen protons and electrons to increase the energy levels of spent biochemical intermediaries. The resulting atp and nadph are used in the calvin cycle to fix carbon dioxide (that is, add hydrogen and oxygen to carbon) and, with water (as some of your classmates pointed out), transform inorganic carbon into carbohydrates. The resulting primary production can be found across much of the world, in some areas more than others. Another classmate of yours, on his toes, asked about why the tundra band produced the most. This map is for high summer when the production rate (gc/m2/day) appears greater even as the total amount may still be more along the equator.
