5.2.3 Productivity

• What does productivity in ecology refer to?

  Energy into organic matter
• Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) is the total amount of energy captured by plants through photosynthesis
• Net Primary Productivity (NPP) accounts for respiration losses.
• Drought conditions can severely limit GPP
• Deficiency in nitrogen and phosphorus can limit productivity
• Why do tropical rainforests have high productivity?

  Abundant light, water, nutrients
• What are the primary factors affecting primary productivity?

  Light, temperature, water, nutrients
• Excessive light intensity always increases GPP

  False
• Too high or too low temperatures can reduce photosynthesis
• How does water scarcity affect GPP?

  Reduces it
• What is the formula for calculating Net Primary Productivity (NPP)?

  $NPP =$$GPP - Plant Respiration$
• Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) is the total amount of energy captured by plants through photosynthesis
• What is Net Primary Productivity (NPP) defined as?

  Energy stored after respiration
• Primary productivity refers to the rate at which consumers convert organic matter into biomass.

  False
• What is the energy source for primary productivity?

  Sunlight
• Secondary productivity measures the rate at which consumers convert the organic matter they eat into their own biomass
• Which organisms are involved in primary productivity?

  Plants
• How does light intensity affect primary productivity?

  Enhances photosynthesis
• Optimal temperature for photosynthesis is the same for all plant species.

  False
• Drought can significantly reduce primary productivity due to a lack of water
• Which nutrients are essential for primary productivity?

  Nitrogen and phosphorus
• What two processes does temperature affect in primary productivity?

  Photosynthesis and respiration
• Drought can significantly reduce gross primary productivity (GPP).
• Light intensity is essential for primary productivity because it drives photosynthesis
• Why does optimal temperature for photosynthesis vary by species?

  Different enzymes require different temperatures
• Match the factor with its effect on primary productivity:

  Light intensity ↔️ Increases GPP until saturation

  Temperature ↔️ Optimal range enhances photosynthesis

  Water availability ↔️ Drought reduces GPP

  Nutrient availability ↔️ Limits GPP if deficient
• In a rainforest, high light intensity and water availability contribute to high GPP, but nutrient availability can be limiting due to rapid nutrient cycling
• What does productivity in ecology measure?

  Rate of energy conversion
• Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) measures the total amount of energy captured by plants through photosynthesis.
• What is the formula for Net Primary Productivity (NPP)?

  NPP = GPP - Respiration
• Match the productivity type with its process and measures:

  Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) ↔️ Photosynthesis, Total energy captured

  Net Primary Productivity (NPP) ↔️ Photosynthesis - Respiration, Energy stored by plants
• A rainforest has a high GPP due to abundant sunlight and water, but its NPP is lower because plants use energy for their own metabolic processes
• What is primary productivity divided into?

  GPP and NPP
• Order the following productivity types by their energy source and output:

  1️⃣ Primary Productivity (GPP): Sunlight, Total energy captured

  2️⃣ Primary Productivity (NPP): Sunlight, Energy stored by plants

  3️⃣ Secondary Productivity: Organic matter, Consumer biomass gain
• Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) is the total amount of energy captured by plants
• Secondary productivity measures the rate at which consumers convert organic matter into their own biomass gain
• Match the productivity type with its description:

  Primary Productivity ↔️ Conversion of sunlight into organic matter

  Secondary Productivity ↔️ Conversion of organic matter into consumer biomass
• Primary producers, like plants, use photosynthesis to convert sunlight into organic matter
• Net Primary Productivity (NPP) is the energy stored by plants after accounting for their respiration losses
• What is the energy source for primary productivity?

  Sunlight