Magaly
I don't know of a direct conversion. What you want to do is convert from
a photometric unit (illuminance) to a radiometric (irradiance). The
problem is, most photometric light is in a broader wavelength band than
that considered for plants (PAR 400-700 nm). Correct or not, here is
what I have done.
Convert foot candles to lux -> multiply ft candles * 10.8
Convert lux to Watts m2 -> lux * 2.45 mW m-1/ 1000 mW W-1
Convert W m-2 to umole m-2 s-1 -> multiply W m-2 * constant.
The constant depends upon the light source, but averages to 4.688 for 11
light sources.
Some specific constants for light in the 400-700 nm range:
Sun & sky, daylight - 4.57
Blue sky only - 4.24
Metal Halide - 4.59
HP Sodium - 4.98
Cool-white fluorescent - 4.59
Incandescent - 5.0
Lux can be converted to umole m-2 s-1, by division: Lux/ constant.
But the constants vary more widely.
Constants for converting light within 400-700 nm.
Sun & sky, daylight - 54
Blue sky only - 52
Metal Halide - 71
HP Sodium - 82
Cool-white fluorescent - 74
Incandescent - 50
This is all from:
Thimijan, Richard W. & Royal D. Heins. (1983) Photometric, Radiometric,
and Quantum Light Units of Measure: A Review of Procedures for
Interconversion. HortScience 18(6): I'm missing page #s
>From Techniques in Bioproductivity and Photosynthesis (J. Coombs et al.
eds.) 1985
Convert Day light, full sun:
950 W m-2 = 1.36 cal cm-2 min-1 = 95,000 lux
of this, PAR 9400-700 nm) is: 1800 umole photons m-2 2-1
this is approx 399 W m-2 = 0.572 cal cm-2 min-1 = 42% of total
therefore W m-2 (total) = 1.895 umole m-2 s-1 (PAR)
They also have conversions from Blue sky, light and 400W High Pressure
(Sodium Vapor?) lamp
This latter conversion might be easier.
-Karl
"Rincon-Zachary, Magaly" wrote:
>> Dear Plant-Eders
>> I am in crunch here for time. I know this question has come up in the list
> some time ago. What is the conversion factor from foot candle to moles
> photons/sq. meter/sec?
>> Thanks
>> Not a shred of evidence exists in favor of this idea that life is serious
>> --Brendan Gill.
>> Magaly Rincón-Zachary, Ph.D.
> Associate Professor and Graduate Coordinator
> Biology Program
> Midwestern State University
> 3410 Taft Blvd.
> Wichita Falls, TX 76308
>> Phone: (940) 397-4254
> Fax: (940) 397-4831
> E-mail: magaly.rincon at mwsu.edu>> ---
--
______________________________
Karl Kleiner
Assistant Professor of Biology
Department of Biological Sciences
York College of Pennsylvania
York, PA 17405
(717) 815-1754 - Phone
(717) 849-1653 - FAX
kkleiner at ycp.eduhttp://goose.ycp.edu/~kkleiner/index.htm
---
