Is too much light possible?

[sand_tiger86]

Of course, I know that too much light+heat is possible. But without the direct heat that comes with high light, is too much light in and of itself possible? For instance, the general rule for Phals. is 1,000-1,500 foot candles of light. However, If there was no direct heat source with light up to 15,000 f.c...would the light alone still destroy the plant? This is simply hypothetical, so dismiss improbabilities regarding lack of heat along very high light.

[PaphMadMan]

Assuming we're talking about full spectrum natural sunlight, UV wavelengths will destroy almost all organic compounds eventually. At normal sunlight intensities plants can repair tissues or outgrow the damage fast enough to keep ahead of the destruction, at least for the FCs they are adapted for. Few would survive the UV in 15,000 FC sunlight for very long. Even the toughest tree bark would gradually be reduced to ash.

For visible wavelengths of light, any plant structures that absorb any wavelength are gaining energy. Even if the excess heat energy is removed there would eventually be biochemical damage to the light excited molecules. No plant will survive long once the chlorophyll or other molecules in the photosynthetic pathway are disrupted, for instance.

[Brutal_Dreamer]

Thanks Kirk!!

cheers,
BD

[Magnus A]

Kelly, plants adopt to the light they have and drastic change can give damage even if the light levels are ok for adapted plants. It just take the plant time to adopt it´s photosynthetic pathways to handle high light. If you move a plant adapted to a dark indoor environment to full sun the first observation you will do is a bleach of the green color that is due to destruction of the photosynthetic pathway. This is damage typical to "high light no heat".