Mankind/Plant Oxygen Relation - How Much??

I am working on a text about humankind's impact on its environment. I want to consider everything. One of them is oxygen consumption by 1 average human, weighting let's say 130 pounds. I need to know how much plant mass, let's say ferns, nature needs to sustain oxygen needs of 1 human. You know the oxygen experiment where the mice is imprisonned inside an hermetic glass along with a mint plant, and the mice is sustained by the mint's oxygen, and the mint is sustained by the mouse's co2? Really the same thing here. The question I'm asking is, how much plant mass for a human (obviously humans need more than a couple-of-inch-tall mint plant)? And, if possible, a source please.

Thanks,

Swan

A man uses about 0.84kg pounds mass of oxygen per day, for low to medium activity rates in a healthy fit male about 160 pounds.

I can't figure out how to strip the google trash off the link - google for NASA and 0.84, you'll get the link you're looking for. That number is in a multitude of documents including some MSFC stuff I've got at the house, I thought I had remembered it right and there it is. So I guess they figured that one out a long time back.

edit to clarify: you asked how much plant mass i gave you o2 use

Originally posted by swan001
I need to know how much plant mass, let's say ferns, nature needs to sustain oxygen needs of 1 human.

Well, most oxygen isn't from plants such as ferns or trees, but much smaller organisms. Cyanobacteria, Phytoplankton, Algae. Also photodissociation in the upper atmosphere. When the ocean warms up oxygen production will drop off significantly due to poor conditions for the plankton. It's happened once before, most of the oxygen went and there were mass extinctions.

Some links for you.

en.wikipedia.org...

news.nationalgeographic.com...

www.cleveland.com...

www.scientificamerican.com...

www.astrobio.net...

As there are different organisms producing oxygen at different rates, I don't think you can state how much 'plant mass' in general as it is specific.

reply to post by Bedlam


OK thanks!

reply to post by SteveR


Okay.Thanks for the info, it was most informative. I really didn't know.

reply to post by swan001


Your welcome.

I think it is a very interesting project that you're doing. I'd love to see more posts about it.