Review article. Ozone depletion and increased UV-B radiation: is there a real threat to photosynthesis?

on photosynthetic competence or light-interception. It is concluded that O depletion and the concurrent rise This critical review of recent literature questions earl-3 in UV-B irradiance is not a direct threat to photosynier predictions that photosynthetic productivity of thetic productivity of crops and natural vegetation. higher plants is vulnerable to increased ultraviolet-B (UV-B) radiation as a result of stratospheric ozone (O) 3 Key words: Biomass, development, ozone depletion, depletion. Direct UV-B-induced inhibition of photosyn- photosynthesis, ultraviolet-B. thetic competence is observed only at high UV-B irradiances and primarily involves the loss of soluble Calvin