Search results for "Photosynthesis"
showing 10 items of 304 documents
2019
Imaging and non-imaging spectroscopy employed in the field and from aircraft is frequently used to assess biochemical, structural, and functional plant traits, as well as their dynamics in an environmental matrix. With the increasing availability of high-resolution spectroradiometers, it has become feasible to measure fine spectral features, such as those needed to estimate sun-induced chlorophyll fluorescence (F), which is a signal related to the photosynthetic process of plants. The measurement of F requires highly accurate and precise radiance measurements in combination with very sophisticated measurement protocols. Additionally, because F has a highly dynamic nature (compared with othe…
Investigation on the Photosynthetic Membranes of Spruce Needles in Relation to the Occurrence of Novel Forest Decline I. The Photosynthetic Electron …
1988
The investigations described here were carried out in the context of our research project on the physiological, biochemical, and cytomorphological characterization of spruce trees growing in natural habitats and showing damage of varying intensity. Here we report on specific aspects of the photosynthetic apparatus. The aim of the measurements was to analyze whether or not the activity of the photosynthetic electron transport pathway is affected in damaged trees. The investigations were carried out on a 20 to 25-year-old spruce plantation in the Hunsrück mountains and on an 80-year-old spruce plantation in the Westerwald mountains. The photosynthetic electron transport rate was determined by…
Phototrophic Fe(II)-oxidation in the chemocline of a ferruginous meromictic lake
2014
Precambrian Banded Iron Formation (BIF) deposition was conventionally attributed to the precipitation of iron-oxides resulting from the abiotic reaction of ferrous iron (Fe(II)) with photosynthetically produced oxygen. Earliest traces of oxygen date from 2.7 Ga, thus raising questions as to what may have caused BIF precipitation before oxygenic photosynthesis evolved. The discovery of anoxygenic phototrophic bacteria thriving through the oxidation of Fe(II) has provided support for a biological origin for some BIFs, but despite reports suggesting that anoxygenic phototrophs may oxidize Fe(II) in the environment, a model ecosystem of an ancient ocean where they are demonstrably active was la…
Face-to-face held Pacman type porphyrin-fullerene dyads: design, synthesis, charge transfer interactions and photophysical studies
2008
Pacman-type face-to-face zinc-porphyrin-fullerene dyads have been newly synthesized and studied. Owing to the close proximity of the donor and acceptor entities, strong pi-pi intramolecular interactions between the porphyrin and fullerene entities resulted in modulating the spectral and electrochemical properties of the dyads. New absorption and emission bands that correspond to the charge-transfer interactions were observed in the near-IR region. Time-resolved transient absorption studies revealed efficient photoinduced electron transfer from the singlet excited porphyrin to the fullerene entity. The rate constants for photoinduced electron transfer are analyzed in terms of the Marcus theo…
Modification of Nanocrystalline WO3 with a Dicationic Perylene Bisimide: Applications to Molecular Level Solar Water Splitting
2015
[(N,N?-Bis(2-(trimethylammonium)ethylene) perylene 3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylic acid bisimide)(PF6)2] (1) was observed to spontaneously adsorb on nanocrystalline WO3 surfaces via aggregation/hydrophobic forces. Under visible irradiation (? > 435 nm), the excited state of 1 underwent oxidative quenching by electron injection (kinj > 108 s-1) to WO3, leaving a strongly positive hole (Eox ? 1.7 V vs SCE), which allows to drive demanding photo-oxidation reactions in photoelectrochemical cells (PECs). The casting of IrO2 nanoparticles (NPs), acting as water oxidation catalysts (WOCs) on the sensitized electrodes, led to a 4-fold enhancement in photoanodic current, consistent with hole transfer from …
Seawater carbonate chemistry and kelp densities and coral coverages at three study locations and photosynthesis and calcification of corals measured …
2021
Ocean warming is altering the biogeographical distribution of marine organisms. In the tropics, rising sea surface temperatures are restructuring coral reef communities with sensitive species being lost. At the biogeographical divide between temperate and tropical communities, warming is causing macroalgal forest loss and the spread of tropical corals, fishes and other species, termed “tropicalization”. A lack of field research into the combined effects of warming and ocean acidification means there is a gap in our ability to understand and plan for changes in coastal ecosystems. Here, we focus on the tropicalization trajectory of temperate marine ecosystems becoming coral-dominated systems…
Macroalgal responses to ocean acidification depend on nutrient and light levels
2015
Ocean acidification may benefit algae that are able to capitalize on increased carbon availability for photosynthesis, but it is expected to have adverse effects on calcified algae through dissolution. Shifts in dominance between primary producers will have knock-on effects on marine ecosystems and will likely vary regionally, depending on factors such as irradiance (light vs. shade) and nutrient levels (oligotrophic vs. eutrophic). Thus experiments are needed to evaluate interactive effects of combined stressors in the field. In this study, we investigated the physiological responses of macroalgae near a CO2 seep in oligotrophic waters off Vulcano (Italy). The algae were incubated in situ …
Seagrass ecosystem response to long-term high CO2 in a Mediterranean volcanic vent
2014
We examined the long-term effect of naturally acidified water on a Cymodocea nodosa meadow growing at a shallow volcanic CO2 vent in Vulcano Island (Italy). Seagrass and adjacent unvegetated habitats growing at a low pH station (pH = 7.65 ± 0.02) were compared with corresponding habitats at a control station (pH = 8.01 ± 0.01). Density and biomass showed a clear decreasing trend at the low pH station and the below- to above-ground biomass ratio was more than 10 times lower compared to the control. C content and delta 13C of leaves and epiphytes were significantly lower at the low pH station. Photosynthetic activity of C. nodosa was stimulated by low pH as seen by the significant increase in…
Fluorescence explorer (FLEX): An optimised payload to map vegetation photosynthesis from space
2006
The FLuorescence EXplorer (FLEX) mission proposes to launch a satellite for the global monitoring of steady-state chlorophyll fluorescence in terrestrial vegetation. Fluorescence is a sensitive probe of photosynthetic function in both healthy and physiologically perturbed vegetation, and a powerful non-invasive tool to track the status, resilience, and recovery of photochemical processes and moreover provides important information on overall photosynthetic performance with implications for related carbon sequestration. The early responsiveness of fluorescence to atmospheric, soil and plant water balance, as well as to atmospheric chemistry and human intervention in land usage makes it an ob…