Skip navigation.

What is my level 2 Tutor talking about?

Last post 12-04-2009 7:57 PM by edenhendry. 5 replies.

Page 1 of 1 (6 items)

  • 04/04/2009 09:38 PM
    • edenhendry
    • Yateley, Hampshire
    • 04 Apr 2009
    • 42
    Top 150 Contributor
    Reply | Contact

    Hello! First post for me..... here goes.

     Currently studying for level 2, but my tutor isn't the best. He's not very good at explaining things and gets me and the other students flustered.

    Anyway, a couple of weeks ago, he asked us in which season the sun's light is more damaging. We all answered Summer. Apparently, this was wrong and UV light is more stronger and more damaging in Winter, and we should guard our plants in our glasshouses against this harsh light.

    this goes against my gut feeling, but I can't find any articles on this subject to either support his answer or ours. Can any one explain this subject and finally put this to rest?

    Tongue Tied
  • 05/04/2009 11:22 AM
    In reply to
    • squirrel
    • West Suffolk, almost Cambridgeshire
    • 28 Jul 2008
    • 51
    Top 100 Contributor
    Reply | Contact

    Hi there and welcome!

    Well, I don't agree with your tutor either! It says here and here that

    "During winter months, the sun's rays strike at a more oblique angle than they do in the summer. This means that all solar radiation travels a longer path through the atmosphere to reach the Earth, and is therefore less intense."

    With "all solar radiation" including UV light!

     Hope this helps.

  • 05/04/2009 03:35 PM
    In reply to
    • Clematis
    • Biggar
    • 30 Jun 2008
    • 25
    Top 200 Contributor
    Reply | Contact

    Hi edenhendry, try these weblinks to see if they explain any better. 

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Effect_of_sun_angle_on_climate

    http://www.ecozine.co.uk/OzoneLayer.htm

    Clematis
  • 05/04/2009 08:23 PM
    In reply to
    • Phot's-Moll
    • The sunny South coast.
    • 06 Jan 2007
    • 3,347
    Top 10 Contributor
    Reply | Contact

     I don't get it - I thought sunlight was good for plants?

    Whether you think you can do a thing, or think you cannot, you are right.
  • 06/04/2009 08:55 AM
    In reply to
    Top 10 Contributor
    Reply | Contact

    New one on me - can your tutor provide references for this?

    I suspect this is due to a misunderstanding about ozone depletion in winter over polar regions.

    In any case I rather thought glass was sufficiently opaque to UV to provide protection against UV

     

    Boggy

    Beware the bat-eared bogweevil
  • 12/04/2009 07:57 PM
    In reply to
    • edenhendry
    • Yateley, Hampshire
    • 04 Apr 2009
    • 42
    Top 150 Contributor
    Reply | Contact

    Thank good ness for that. I've been going mad trying to solve this - just starting my revision for Hort II. I shall be printing these references off and taking them in to show him and the rest of the class after Easter.

     Thank you so much to all of you for helping out!