Biological Productivity and Energy Transfer Flashcards
Define the term primary productivity.
The rate at which energy is stored by organisms through the formation of organic matter.
Two possible energy sources for primary production are…..
Photosynthesis or Chemosynthesis (Could be light and nutrients)
What is the gross primary production vs net primary production?
Net primary production is the gross primary production minus the respiration.
How do you calculate net primary production?
Gross primary production minus cellular respiration
Name 2 methods to measure primary productivity.
Plankton nets and Chlorophyll measurement.
Two factors that impact primary productivity in the ocean.
Availability of sunlight and nutrients.
What is the photosynthetic compensation depth.
100m in the open ocean and about 20m in the coastal ocean.
How far does light penetrate in the ocean?
Less than 1% of light reaches 100m
Which visible light colors penetrate the deepest?
The shorter the wavelength the deeper the penetration. Blue light penetrates best, green light is second, yellow light is third.
Which colors are absorbed first?
Red mainly
How are nutrients delivered to the ocean?
Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Silicon are brought into the ocean through runoff. Iron is usually brought into the ocean via continental material or dust.
What are the pros and cons of open ocean for productivity?
Pros - More Sunlight
Cons - Less Nutrients
What are the pros and cons of coastal ocean for productivity?
Pros - More nutrients
Cons - Light penetration is minimal
The most essential factor to productivity is?
Availability of sunlight
Do zooplankton peaks occur at the same time or after phytoplankton peaks?
They usually occur after phytoplankton peaks.
