Question

What are the primary and secondary productivities?

Hint:

Remember: NPP = GPP – R (respiration).

Answer 1

Step 1: Primary productivity.
It is the rate at which energy is captured by producers (plants, algae) through photosynthesis per unit area per unit time.
- Gross Primary Productivity (GPP): Total energy fixed.
- Net Primary Productivity (NPP): Energy available to consumers (GPP – respiration losses).
Step 2: Secondary productivity.
It is the rate at which energy is assimilated at the consumer level (herbivores, carnivores). It represents biomass gained by consumers per unit area per unit time.
Step 3: Conclusion.
Primary productivity → producers; Secondary productivity → consumers.