Dynamic versus static models for photosynthesis

✍ Scribed by Claudia Pahl-Wostl

• Publisher: Springer
• Year: 1992
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 534 KB
• Volume: 238
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 1573-5141
• DOI: 10.1007/bf00048788

✦ Synopsis

Static P(I) curves relating photosynthesis to the instantaneous light might not be adequate to describe the activity of algal cells in lakes or oceans where mixing can cause a complex pattern of light variation. In recent years experimental results have provided evidence that, subsequent to changes in light, the rate of photosynthesis may be delayed or exhibit complex temporal dynamics.

The model DYPHORA (DYnamic model for the PHOtosynthetic Rate of Algae) takes these dynamics into account by introducing two characteristic response times for the biological processes: (1) the effect of light inhibition having a time scale of minutes to a few hours and (2) the time lag of the rate of photosynthesis for increasing light intensities having a time scale of seconds to minutes.

The importance of the dynamic relative to the static description of photosynthesis depends on the time scales of the changes in the environment and the biological response, becoming significant when the time scales are comparable.