Producing oxygen?

Question

Photosynthesis, I know, but which plants are the best at absorbing CO2 and producing O2? Is it a case of bigger is better or are there small plants that, relatively speaking, are more beneficial?

Answer 1

It's not really a matter of 'best'. The microscopic diatoms and other tiny plants, aglae, etc, that live near the ocean surfaces do 'more' to 'inhale' CO2, and 'exhale' O2 than any other plants, just because the oceans cover more surface area on the Earth, than does land.

Unfortunately, these tiny plants are also very highly endangered by climate-change, as the polar ice-caps melt. Fresh water floats, on sea water, and it will force these plants deeper into the water, further from the sun than they should be. A cm change of depth could obliterate whole species, and is doing, as I type. We have to hope they can mutate fast enough to keep up, but still be digestible to the microorganisms that feed on them, because the bottom of the ocean food-chain is in a delicately balanced few centimetres at the ocean surface.

Land plants which do the most photosynthesis are the equatorial rainforests we hear so much about. This is because they have the most consistent solar exposure, (equatorial=most consistent sun) and sufficient water to complete -- Google this -- the Krebs' Cycle of Cellular Respiration (the process of photosynthesis) faster, and more easily, than most other forests. These trees are generally broad-leaved, for plenty of surface-area to catch sunlight.

ALL plants (except for the very esoteric geothermal plants, at the ocean floor) depend upon the sun and all plants on Earth do some form of photosynthesis.

The 'best' are the ones with the most exposure to the sun, and the healthiest and most regular water-flow. The untamed equatorial rainforest was a miracle in self-regulation, with overgrowth naturally curtailed, and different plants working in harmony.

As there is no winter, per se, at the equator, these trees have no period of leaflessness, though they are actually deciduous -- meaning their leaves fall off, not 'fir', or 'evergreen'-- plants.

If a kid won't look after her potted plant, or damages it intentionally, s/he's not allowed to have plants.

We humans have demonstrated that we oughtn't to be allowed to HAVE a planet. (Sorry about that ranty bit, but the havoc in the oceans is much worse than most people have NO idea).

Answer 2

I agree with protectrzs.... answer completely.
I'll just add a couple of things.
All "plants" in the oceans are photosinthetic. The ones in the bottom are animals and bacteria, not algae.
Some terrestrial plants don't perform photosinthesis. They lost that capacity and became parasites of other plants (and i don't mean fungi). This is a very uncommon thing, only a couple of known species
There isn't a plant that is "most efficient". Rather than that, there are efficient ecosystems. The most efficient ones are the ones whose biomass incorporation rate (CO2 fixation rate) is highest. The seas are the best ones, but as said, only because they're so big. They're efficiency is actually quite low (per unit area, for example).
The most efficient of the natural ecosystems in Carbon fixation are: Swamps, tropical rainforests and tropical seasonally dry forests (in that order).
All of which, by the way, are the ecosystems most at risk in the world (in that order).
Kelp beads in the pacific (british columbia and stuff) are actually the ones that have the highest carbon fixation capacity, but they spend a big portion of the year "out of bussiness" (during the months of low light)
And above all, by far, the most efficient of all are agricultural fields (like corn, wheat etc), but that doesn't work if you're concerned about CO2 levels in the atmosphere, since most of that carbon returns to the air, rapidly, and doesn't stay fixed as biomass.

In general, some plants have a way of augmenting their carbon fixation efficiency that is called the C4 process, which aids them in fixing carbon in places where it's difficult (hot places, tropics, for example). That doesn't mean they fix more carbon necessarily

Answer 3

All flora produce oxygen and devour carbon dioxide. some alga also use oxygen. No plant will provide adequate oxygen to help fish in an aquarium. also nedd some variety of pump/aeration to provide dissolved oxygen. pretend flora do not do some thing yet take a seat there.

Answer 4

Small "plants", phytoplankton produce about half of the world's oxygen. These are the tiny plant forms that inhabit the oceans.

Answer 5

I think it is bigger plants that produce more oxygen