Photosynthesis in silico. Understanding complexity from molecules to Ecosystems. 2009. (Advances in Photosynthesis and Respiration, Vol. 29). 520 p. gr8vo. Hardcover.

Photosynthesis in silico: Understanding Complexity from Molecules to Ecosystems is a unique book that aims to show an integrated approach to the understanding of photosynthesis processes. In this volume - using mathematical modeling - processes are describedfrom the biophysics of the interaction of light with pigment systems to the mutual interaction of individual plants and other organisms in canopies and large ecosystems, up to the global ecosystem issues.Mathematics is a powerful tool for quantitative analysis. Properly programmed, contemporary computers are able to mimic complicated processes in living cells, leaves, canopies and ecosystems. These simulations - mathematical models help us predict the photosynthetic responses of modeled systems under various combinations of environmental conditions, potentially occurring in nature, e.g., the responses of plant canopies to globally increasing temperature and atmospheric CO2 concentration. Tremendous analytical power is needed tounderstand nature's infinite complexity at every level. This book is not a list of equations and computer programs, but the emphasis is on analytical ideas facilitating the understanding of complex interactions governing the photosynthetic process on every level and between different levels of hierarchy.