FOR201H1 Chapter Notes - Chapter 10: C4 Carbon Fixation, C3 Carbon Fixation, Photosynthetic Efficiency
Document Summary
Chapter 10 - plant form and function, what it takes to survive: Light is the main factor explaining variations in plant form and dynamics. All green plants compete and need sun, nutrients, and water. The vertical stratification of plants reacts to a decline in light intensity. At low light, productivity increases with illumination. This relationship plateaus due to saturation of the stromata. C3, c4, and crassulacean acid metabolism (cam): are the three principal forms of photosynthesis known in higher plants. Most rainforest plant species are of the c3 type, as it"s most efficient in low light. C4 photosynthesis is more efficient than c3 in strong light conditions. Cam occurs in 6-7% of vascular species. It allows plants to store co2, allowing daytime stomatal closure. Many species can switch from cam to c3 when advantageous. Understorey plants maximize light capture in low light. Foliage with red or purple undersides increase light capture by reflecting unabsorbed light back into leaf tissue.
