CHLOROPHYLL AMOUNT AS AN INDICATOR OF MATTER PRODUCTIVITY IN BIO-COMMUNITIES1

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Abstract
The data of chlorophyll amounts in diverse bio-communities are compiled and discussed with reference to matter production. The chlorophyll amount in euphotic zone of lakes and oceans was less than 1 g/m2, mostly less than 0.1 g/m2. In phytoplankton blooms it was ca. 0.1–1 g/m2. Large values of 5–20 g/m2 were obtained in the outdoor mass cultures of Chlorella, in which the high population density and chlorophyll content of the alga were observed. In terrestrial higher plant communities the chlorophyll amount (ca. 1–10 g/m2) was usually higher than in aquatic phytoplankton communities. The largest (13.3 g/m2) was obtained with an evergreen gallery forest in Thailand. The chlorophyll amount of desert bio-community could be expected to be as high as that in water blooms. The maximum chlorophyll amount in bio-communities seems to attain up to 20 g/m2 when the conditions are favorable.