Most of us have heard of the relationship between temperatures and plant growth. We know that certain plants grow best in certain temperatures, and that some cannot tolerate extreme temperatures. We also know that nutrients are more available in cooler temperatures. But how do temperatures affect plant growth?
Photosynthesis is the process by which plants use light to create food and energy. During the night hours, plants cannot use the sun to produce their food and energy. During the day, light is more available to the plants. So during the wintertime or in high altitudes, where the sun is not out for as long, photosynthesis slows down and the plants do not get the nutrients they need.
Plants have a limited capacity for photosynthesis. They can only use about six degrees f of heat. This means that even in the deepest greenest places on Earth, the temperature remains relatively warm-ish, which greatly limits plant growth. The same holds true for the poles, where ice and snow block the sun from reaching the inner areas of the earth’s continents and polar regions.
The reason why some plants do well in warmer temperatures is because they do not need the sun to produce food and energy. Because they do not need the sun, they do not get cold. As a result, their roots are able to extend to areas where the temperature is freezing cold, and they can thrive there. However, if the roots cannot extend far enough, they become parched, and the plant growth is stunted.
How temperature affects which plants grow in an area depends on how much of a difference in the temperature is needed to trigger the necessary photosynthesis. Plants require a certain amount of light, which they get from the sun. But just how much light is needed to trigger photosynthesis depends on how different the external environmental conditions are in the places where the plants grow. If the temperature around the plants is relatively cool, the light they require to grow will also be relatively cool.
How temperature affects plant growth can also be affected by how much carbon dioxide the plants absorb. When the air temperature is cooler, carbon dioxide is absorbed by the plants. As the temperature becomes warmer, the carbon dioxide is released. This effect is called the photosynthesis effect, because the photosynthesis process in nature is triggered by the absorption and release of carbon dioxide.
It is a bit more complicated than this explanation, but this is how it works. The colder it gets, the less air needs to be present in order for plants to get colder. As a result, fewer plants will grow under those conditions. The plants that do grow in those conditions are generally much larger and vigorous, due to the fact that photosynthesis cannot occur as slowly. However, these plants will usually have smaller root systems, as well, so they won’t have the ability to spread very far.
Water temperature plays a big part in whether or not plants can grow. The colder the water, the fewer plants will grow in that water. However, certain aquatic plants don’t actually need water temperature to survive. Under normal conditions, their roots stay close to the bottom of the water, and their roots alone will keep them alive without water.
How temperature affects plant growth is also related to the process of photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is a process in which plants convert light into food, which is the basis of all life. Without this process, there would be no plants. The process of photosynthesis is controlled by temperature, just as is the temperature in the environment. If the temperature is too low or too high for the photosynthesis process to take place, the plants won’t grow.
There are several other factors that can affect how temperature affects which plants grow in an area. For instance, if a particular variety of plant doesn’t do well at a particular temperature, it may not do well in that same location at all. That’s why planting different varieties of the same species of plant is often a good idea. This way you can choose the ones that will grow best in your climate and area.
How temperature affects which plants grow in an area can actually have a profound effect on the quality of life that humans live. Plants need certain temperatures in order to grow healthily. If the temperature is too low or too high for the plants to handle, they may not survive. Learning about the relationship between temperature and plant growth, and how to best control the temperature you’re living in, can help improve the quality of life for everyone who lives in that area.
