Leaf area index

Range 1 Camissonia claviformis: 4.3 Corn canopy: 5.7 Cotton canopy Unitless
Organism Plants
Reference Mooney HA, Ehleringer J, Berry JA. High photosynthetic capacity of a winter annual in death valley. Science. 1976 Oct 15 194(4262):322-4. p.323 right column bottom paragraphPubMed ID17738049
Comments The leaf area index is the surface area of leaves in a canopy per unit surface area of ground. As for the rate of carbon fixation per unit of ground surface, it would appear that a single Camissonia leaf [leaf area index = 1] may fix carbon at a rate similar to that of an entire productive corn canopy [leaf area index = 4.3 (D. N. Baker and R. Musgrave [Crop Sci. 4, 127 (1964)1, as cited in Zelitch (8, p. 279).)] and greater than that of a cotton canopy [leaf area index = 5.7 (D. N. Baker. ibid. 5, 53 (1965).)].
Entered by Uri M
ID 107711