ABSTRACT
Solar energy plays an indispensable role in ecosystem processes. Plants convert solar energy into chemical energy, via photosynthesis. The carbohydrates and other macromolecules that are synthesized form the basis for the food webs on which all heterotrophes depend. Because light energy supports life on earth, understanding how plants intercept light and convert it into macromolecules has been, and still is, a critical area of investigation.
