1.8 Primary Productivity

Temperature and precipitation

The terrestrial biomes shown in a diagram vary in net primary productivity. The explanation for the variation includes what two factors?

GPP = NPP + R

The amount of sugar plants produce during photosynthesis

the total rate of photosynthesis in a given area.

Gross primary productivity is the total amount of solar energy captured by producers through photosynthesis over time.

What best describes gross primary productivity in an ecosystem?

NPP = GPP - R

The amount of energy plants pass on to the next trophic level

is the rate of energy storage by photosynthesizers in a given area, after subtracting the energy lost to respiration.

Net primary productivity is the amount of energy lost through respiration by producers subtracted from the gross primary productivity of an ecosystem.

What best describes the net primary productivity of an ecosystem?

sun

The ultimate source of energy for terrestrial ecosystem is what?

desert

Of all of the ecosystems, which has the lowest net primary productivity, measured as kilocalories of energy produced per square meter per year?

the net primary productivity (NPP) of the oceans is low when measured in m2, but the large expanse of the oceans supports enormous numbers of producers such as phytoplankton.

Open oceans produce the largest share of Earth's biomass because the net primary productivity (NPP) of the oceans is what?

glucose

For a primary producer, the main function of photosynthesis is to manufacture what?

1. algae beds / reefs AND tropical rainforest
2. open ocean

which biome has the greatest average NPP? in meters squared? in general?

to establish how efficiently plants convert carbon dioxide, water and light energy into glucose and oxygen through the process of photosynthesis.

What is primary productivity used for?