First published in 1975, this volume provides a unique comparative treatment of annual and seasonal photosynthetic production in both terrestrial and aquatic environments on a world scale and examines the efficiency with which incoming light energy is utilised in different types of natural and managed vegetation, including agricultural crops. It discusses the characteristics of the vegetation which determine this productivity, including such features as leaf or plant arrangement in relation to light interception, the photosynthetic activity of the individual leaves or other organs and the strategy of the plant in making use of assimilates for growth and development. Most professional ecologists and plant physiologists will find much to interest them here and the book should form valuable background reading for students in plant biology, ecology and agriculture.

Table of Contents:
List of contributors; Foreword I. Malek and O. V. Zalensky; 1. Introduction J. P. Cooper; Part I. Primary Production in Terrestrial Ecosystems: 2. Primary production of forests T. Kira; 3. Primary production of grazing lands M. M. Caldwell; 4. Primary production of tundra F. E. Wielgolaski; 5. Primary production of deserts E. -D. Schulze and L. Kappen; 5.1 Physiological basis of primary production of perennial higher plants in the Negev desert E. -D. Schulze, O. L. Lange, L. Kappen, M. Evenari and U. Buschbom; 5.2 The biomass production of some higher plants in Near-Eastern and American deserts M. Evenari, S. Bamberg, E. -D. Schulze, L. Kappen, O. L. Lange and U. Buschbom; 5.3 Potential photosynthesis of Central Asian desert plants O. V. Zalensky; 5.4 Primary production of lower plants (lichens) in the desert and its physiological basis L. Kappen, O. L. Lange, E. -D. Schulze, M. Evenari and U. Buschbom; 6. Productivity of agricultural ecosystems R. S. Loomis and P. A. Gerakis; 7. Functioning of the biosphere at the primary production level - objectives and achievements F. E. Eckardt; Part II. Primary Production in Aquatic Ecosystems: 8. Primary production of freshwater macrophytes D. F. Westlake; 9. Primary production of marine macrophytes K. H. Mann and A. R. O. Chapman; 10. Primary production of freshwater microphytes J. F. Talling; 11. Primary production of marine microphytes T. Platt and D. V. Subba Rao; 12. Primary production of aquatic plants - conclusions J. F. Talling; Part III. Distribution of Radiant Energy and CO2 in Relation to Community Structure and Stratification: 13. Distribution of radiant energy and CO2 in terrestrial communities T. Saeki; 14. The roles of nutrient cycling and radiant energy in aquatic communities D. W. Schindler and E. J. Fee; 15. Solar radiation and carbon dioxide in plant communities - conclusions Margaret C. Anderson; Part IV. Photosynthetic Activity of Individual Plants and Tissues: 16. Photosynthetic mechanisms in higher plants J. H. Troughton; 17. Photosynthesis in mosses and lichens P. Kallio and L. Karenlampi; 18. Photosynthetic systems - conclusions Ph. Chartier and J. Catsky; Part V. Use of Assimilates for Maintenance, Growth and Development: 19. Biochemical pathways in unicellular plants G. E. Fogg; 20. Use of assimilates in higher plants F. W. T. Penning de Vries; 21. Source-sink relations and the partition of assimilates in the plant P. F. Wareing and J. Patrick; 22. Beyond photosynthesis - the role of respiration, translocation and growth potential in determining productivity L. T. Evans; Part VI. Influence of Stress Factors and the Use of Assimilates: 23. Water stress, photosynthesis and the use of photosynthates B. Slavik; 24. Influence of mineral nutrition on photosynthesis and the use of assimilates L. Natr; 25. Influence of temperature stress on CO2-gas exchange H. Bauer, W. Larcher and R. B. Walker; 26. Effects of environmental stress on photosynthesis - conclusions D. Koller; Part VII. Actual and Potential Production in Photosynthetic Systems: 27. Control of photosynthetic production in terrestrial systems J. P. Cooper; 28. Crop simulation and experimental evaluation - a case study H. van Keulen, W. Louwerse, L. Sibma and Th. Alberda; 29. Control of photosynthetic production in aquatic ecosystems E. Stengel and C. J. Soeder; 30. Actual and potential photosynthetic production - conclusions W. R. Stern; Part VIII. Conclusions: 31. Photosynthesis and productivity in different environments E. C. Wassink; List of supplementary papers submitted at the IBP Aberystwyth Meeting, April 1973; Index.