Anything that influences energy gain by photosynthesis has the potential to affect the survival, growth, and reproduction of the organism.

As we have just seen, rates of photosynthesis are influenced by environmental conditions,

particularly temperature and water availability. In addition, an apparent biochemical inefficiency in the initial step of the Calvin cycle limits energy gain by photosynthetic organisms.

In this section, we will examine some evolutionary responses to these environmental constraints on photosynthesis. We will describe two specialized photosynthetic pathways, the C₄ pathway and crassulacean acid metabolism (CAM), that make photosynthesis more efficient under particular potentially stressful environmental conditions. Plants that lack these specialized pathways use the C₃ photosynthetic pathway. The C₃ and C₄ photosynthetic pathways take their names from the number of carbon atoms in their first stable chemical products. First, we'll examine photorespiration, a process that operates in opposition to the Calvin cycle and lowers its efficiency.

More on the topic Anything that influences energy gain by photosynthesis has the potential to affect the survival, growth, and reproduction of the organism.:

1. Photorespiration lowers the efficiency of photosynthesis
2. Optimal foraging theory addresses behavioral choices that enhance the rate of energy gain
3. Reviewers