Mathematical formulation of the relationship between photosynthesis and light for phytoplankton

Abstract

Eight different mathematical formulations of the photosynthesis—light curve for phytoplankton (up to and including light saturation) were recast in terms of the same two parameters: the initial slope α, and the assimilation number P_m^B. Each equation was tested for its ability to describe empirical data from natural populations of marine phytoplankton: the results of 188 light‐saturation experiments at three coastal locations in Nova Scotia over a 2‐year period. The most consistently useful mathematical representation of the data was found to be the hyperbolic tangent function.