tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9199848742267562587.post7796635907197760953..comments2024-02-06T10:31:24.491-07:00Comments on Watching the World Wake Up: Singlespeed Descents, C4 Photosynthesis, and the RamonesWatcherhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02248341788957416471noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9199848742267562587.post-727601565830840022012-03-18T22:00:43.545-06:002012-03-18T22:00:43.545-06:00AR- I believe (it's been 3 years) I pulled the...AR- I believe (it's been 3 years) I pulled the graphic from <a href="http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&sqi=2&ved=0CCYQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ehleringer.net%2FJim%2FPublications%2F328.pdf&ei=M6dmT76wLevYiAKarvCiDw&usg=AFQjCNHJL8d4aVSdAYW8ZGeOXhYdVuUjfw" rel="nofollow">here</a>.<br /><br />The graphic appears in several sources; I think it was originally pulished in the 2nd item (#263) on <a href="http://www.ehleringer.net/Jim/publications2001-2005.html" rel="nofollow">this list</a>.Watcherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02248341788957416471noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9199848742267562587.post-3308528430334762492012-03-18T21:06:36.840-06:002012-03-18T21:06:36.840-06:00Dear Watcher,
I am an undergraduate studying world...Dear Watcher,<br />I am an undergraduate studying worldwide distributions of CAM and C4 plants - I was wondering where you found that figure of C4 grass distributions!<br />Thank you very much. <br />Kind regards,<br />ARARnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9199848742267562587.post-59692125679044486462009-02-09T20:51:00.000-07:002009-02-09T20:51:00.000-07:00Sally- you know, I think you'd really enjoy mtn bi...Sally- you know, I think you'd really enjoy mtn biking- never too late to start! ;^) Anyhoo, er, "who"...<BR/><BR/>Kris- don't stress, just do what I do: Get your kids and their friends together, walk them over to the patch where crabgrass is growing, and say, "Play here. Hard." (tip from my upcoming "Budget Guide to Home Lawncare"...)<BR/><BR/>Chris- yes, Pollan talks about C4 early on in Omnivore’s Dilemma, in his intro to corn. His description of C4 is pretty “lite”, but he gives a great overview connecting the bizarre and mysterious evolutionary past of corn to the nature of the modern hybrids farmed today. C4 is one of the things that’s made corn such a successful New World export, and one of the goals of GM foods research is to create C3 crops with C4-like growth characteristics.<BR/><BR/>I plan to blog more about C3/C4, but have more research to do before diving deeper into nutritional issues. One of the fascinating things about C3/C4 crops is how each may fare in a near-future “warmed” world. The generally predicted changes- greater heat and drought in many agricultural areas- would seem to favor C4 crops, such as corn, millet and sorghum, but increased CO2 would help C3 crops, such as wheat and potatoes.<BR/><BR/>It gets even more complicated; of the 17 or 18 worst agricultural weeds in the world, 14 are C4 weeds growing amidst C3 crops. Elevated C02 could speed the growth of the C3 crops and make them more competitive against the C4 weeds. But on the other hand, it seems that elevated CO2 makes C3 crops grow faster, but with reduced protein content. Anyway, I’m glad you find the topic as interesting as I do. I plan to continue learning (and blogging) about C3/C4 over the course of the year.Watcherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02248341788957416471noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9199848742267562587.post-11210703758212346862009-02-09T11:24:00.000-07:002009-02-09T11:24:00.000-07:00I'm really liking these posts Watcher. It would b...I'm really liking these posts Watcher. <BR/><BR/>It would be great to expound on the C4 vs C3 efficiencies and their impact on our food base. I remember reading about Corn being a C4 plant and thus providing more calories per acre (assuming ample irrigation) than other food crops like wheat. Maybe this was in "The Omnivores Dilemma" by Michael Pollan, but I'm not sure.<BR/><BR/>Chris in PortlandChrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06086975671026754449noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9199848742267562587.post-17040227397931208082009-02-09T10:11:00.000-07:002009-02-09T10:11:00.000-07:00I enjoyed the photosynthesis series. Amazing that ...I enjoyed the photosynthesis series. Amazing that all this chemistry is going on all around us. Now I'm going to feel guilty walking across the lawn, think of all that exquisite machinery I'm trampling!KanyonKrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01954169751206336705noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9199848742267562587.post-71212175169921612442009-02-09T08:38:00.000-07:002009-02-09T08:38:00.000-07:00Ouch, thanks again... Okay, for starters, anywho i...Ouch, thanks again... Okay, for starters, anywho is correctly spelled "anyhoo"-- everybody knows that! [grin]<BR/><BR/>This is great that you're putting all this out there, but other than the crabgrass example, which is delightfully pertinent, what about the practical field application? For those of us who don't think in OC or MTB (SS or otherwise), it comes down to <EM>cool-season vs. warm-season grasses</EM>, a visible, specific, and thus environmentally concrete demonstration of this phenomenon in the Real World... Gotta love that, right?Nook Naturalistshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07083040861091445638noreply@blogger.com