Thermodynamic study of Plant Growth in Nature. I. Application of Law of Mass Action to Biokinetics of Plant Growth

Abstract

Plant growth is essentially a biochemical process with complex mechanism which is hitherto not understood with certainty. Consequently kinetic laws of this process are also not elucidated. The existing law of limiting factors of Liebig and Blackman is only an approximate law. Chemical thermodynamic examination of biokinetic data of plant growth in forest. Enables application of Van't Hoff's isochore and evaluation of energy changes Δ H in the process. In this paper Δ H of the process is evaluated from the kinetic data of tropical and sub-tropical forests and works out to 4984 X 30 g cal. Per mol., and calorific value of 4980 calories. The average calorific value of the vegetative matter that forms bulk of these forests is 4, 980 calaries. The reasonable agreement between theoretical and experimental calorific values gives positive evidence of the applicability of law of mass action to the process of vegetative growth. Consequently the variation of plant growth with the variation of H₂ o or CO₃ can be given a rational explanation on the basis of law of mass action.