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These two critical metabolic processes are the "twin sisters" of energy transfer in biology.  All living things respire but only green plant photosynthesize.  It's mind-boggling to think that a tiny sliver of the sun's energy strikes Earth, and then only a small part of that is captured by photosynthesis.  It is this captured energy that powers life on our planet.  

Major Points

• Trees are major metabolic drivers of many terrestrial ecosystems.
• Trees are NOT major contributors to "fresh" oxygen on the plant.  Plant in the ocean fill this role.
• Trees provide much atmospheric modification in terms of air movement, temperature, humidity, etc.
• Trees are particularly important "habitat" components in urban and residential areas.
• All forests have a relationship between photosynthesis and respiration. Older forests tend to have more respiration, making them net oxygen consumers.  Younger forests have the reverse effect, which is why younger forests are important factors in global carbon sequestration.
• Tree physiology on the Michigan Forests Forever website.

It takes about 8.5 minutes for light from the Sun to reach the Earth.  That's 93 million miles.  Interestingly, biology has little use for energy in the form of light.  Photosynthesis converts light energy into chemical energy, and then stores that energy in glucose molecules.  A simple idea, but it involves some rather complex chemistry and physics.  Living things, including trees and other green plants, then break apart that glucose molecule when energy is needed for growth and related metabolic processes.  Just think, the energy you need to read this page, or to run the monitor that you're looking at, originally came from the sun, via the process of photosynthesis.  

 

BeLeaf It or Not! Video ProductionThe purpose for these videos is to INTRODUCE a few concepts for each episode topic.  They are meant to be light-hearted and entertaining.   Yet, the intention is to have both feet on solid science ground (biological, economic, social, et al.).  We acknowledge that many of the topics are introduced or reinforced in school curricula at the fourth through seventh grades.  So, these students, and their teachers, are the primary target audience.  All of these topics can be more fully explored within the classroom setting or, in some case, be explored IN THE WOODS!  With this in mind, these support pages are embedded into the Michigan Forests Forever website, which already houses a wide range of information about Michigan forests, designed for use by teachers. This entire project cost about $100,000.  No small amount, of course.  The primary authors were Bill Cook, Georgia Peterson, and James Ford.  Additionally, most of the episode scripts were either drafted and/or reviewed by cooperating foresters, biologists, teachers, and other experts.  If you're curious about who helped produced these videos, visit the "credits" page.

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