2.3 - PRODUCTIVITY

Question 1

What is productivity?

Answer 1

the conversion of energy into biomass in a given time (rate of growth of plants and animals in the ecosystem)

Question 2

What is primary productivity?

Answer 2

The rate at which energy is converted into mass by plants.

Question 3

Net Primary Productivity vs Gross Primary Productivity

Answer 3

NPP: Amount of energy left over by plants after they meet their needs
GPP: the total amount of primary productivity ÷ dry matter made by a plant in photosynthesis

Question 4

Define secondary productivity

Answer 4

the rate at which an ecosystem’s consumers convert chemical energy (food) into their own biomass.

Question 5

Net secondary productivity vs Gross secondary productivity

Answer 5

GSP: food eaten - fecal loss
NSP: the mass change of an organism over time (GSP - Respiratory loss)

Question 6

How do you measure the biomass of a field?

Answer 6

By taking a sample and measuring its dry mass. Would have to remove the vegetation (clipping) within that sample.