Bioelectric potential of plants

[FrankM]

I read the article below from "magcap.com" that mentioned usable electric power can be obtained from trees. Usable in this case is quite small.

 

http://www.magcap.com/pdf/Release2006_09_26V1_02.pdf

 

The above report did not provide a reference to MIT study but did indicate the researchers eliminated dissimilar metals as the cause.

 

I found a few other scientific publications that were measuring the bioelectric potentials and how they change daily and seasonally. The web site below contains lots of comments about what the readers think is happening.

 

The New Power Plants: Trees Make Electricity? (TreeHugger)

 

The comments of most of the readers of the above assume the potential was caused by dissimilar metals, even though the "magcap" article stated this was accounted for.

 

The report below also eliminated dissimilar metals as being the cause of the current.

 

http://volcanum.geosciences.univ-rennes1.fr/IMG/pdf/Arbre_PlantScience_2006.pdf

 

Any other pertinent studies in this area?

[FrankM]

A curious differential was noted on page 9 of the following report in the section titled "Discussion".

 

http://aslh.nyme.hu/2005vol1/koppan_et_al.pdf

 

The studies carried out for the determination of differences depending on the position of the electrodes (level and direction) show that the channels on the eastern side reach the maximum and the minimum values the earliest and the channels of the western side reach the minimum values the latest. There is no significant difference between the southern and northern channels.

 

This differential had been noted over the four year span of the study and its cause had not been isolated.

[Bio-Hazard]

I studied this stuff over a year ago. It's nice to see more studies on it.

 

My primary interests were in gastrobotics and photosynthesis. I was interested in how people could use the energy created/converted by plants and route it into usable energy for people, while keeping the plants alive.