Production

Question 1

All the organisms and the physical environment of a given place, including energy flow and nutrient cycling

Answer 1

Ecosystem

Question 2

Two principal ecosystem processes

Answer 2

Energy flow and chemical cycling

Question 3

Explain energy flow

Answer 3

Energy flows through an ecosystem (sunlight) which is converted into chemical energy by autotrophs which are then consumed by heterotrophs and is converted into heat

Question 4

True or false: Chemical elements are continually recycled

Answer 4

True; Chemical elements (such as C and N) are cycled among biotic and abiotic components of ecosystem

Question 5

These two transform energy and matter in ecosystems

Answer 5

Photosynthesis and feeding relationships

Question 6

Generation of chemical energy by autotrophs

Answer 6

Primary production

Question 7

Total amount of carbon fixation by autotrophs in energy rich molecules

Answer 7

Gross primary production

Question 8

Describes organisms that use photosynthesis

Answer 8

Photoautotrophic

Question 9

Describes organisms that use chemosynthesis

Answer 9

Chemoautotrophic

Question 10

Leaf area of plants per unit of ground area

Answer 10

Leaf area index

Question 11

Amount of energy captured by autotrophs that contributes to biomass

Answer 11

Net primary production (NPP)

Question 12

Net primary production is equal to?

Answer 12

Gross primary production - Autotrophic respiration

Question 13

Is equal to: GPP-AR-HR
GPP - Gross Primary Production
AR - Autotrophic respiration
HR - heterotrophic respiration

Answer 13

Net Ecosystem Production or net ecosystem exchange

Question 14

If NEE>0, it is a ______

Answer 14

Carbon sink, it absorbs more carbon than it releases

Question 15

If NEE<0, it is a _______

Answer 15

Carbon source, releases more carbon than it absorbs

Question 16

Above ground NPP varies as a function of?

Answer 16

Leaf Area Index

Question 17

Key variables controlling global variation in terrestrial NPP

Answer 17

Water and Temperature

Question 18

T/F NPP increases with decreasing precipitation

Answer 18

False, NPP increases with increasing precipitation

Question 19

Total amount of water transpired plus evaporated (a function of water availability and solar energy)

Answer 19

Annual Actual Evapotranspiration (AET)

Question 20

T/F Terrestrial Primary production increases w/ AET

Answer 20

True

Question 21

T/F Primary production in grasslands decreases with greater annual precipitation?

Answer 21

F, increases

Question 22

States that Nutrient limitation to plant growth could be traced to a single limiting nutrient

Answer 22

Liebig’s Law of the Minimum

Question 23

Controls rates of primary production in freshwater ecosystems

Answer 23

Nutrient availability

Question 24

Highest rates of marine primary production take place where?

Answer 24

along continental margins and in shallow seas

Question 25

How are continental margin nutrients renewed?

Answer 25

By land runoff and bottom sediment disruption

Question 26

Middle of oceans have low NPP, why?

Answer 26

Vertical mixing is blocked by a permanent thermocline (no nutrient upwelling) and surface water of tropical oceans are nutrient limited

Question 27

Limitation based on physio-chemical factors

Answer 27

Bottom-up controls

Question 28

Limitation based on consumers

Answer 28

Top-down controls

Question 29

Calculated from satellite measurements of reflectance in red and infrared wavelengths

Answer 29

Global pattern of Terrestrial Chlorophyll

Question 30

Terrestrial NPP is concentrated where?

Answer 30

Concentrated at the equator

Question 31

Marine NPP is concentrated where?

Answer 31

Concentrated along the coast

Question 32

Describe the Global Pattern of NPP

Answer 32

NPP patterns coincide with patterns of climate and upwelling

Question 33

Amount of chemical energy in consumers’ food converted to consumer biomass

Answer 33

Secondary Production

Question 34

Is equal to Ingestion - Respiration - Egestion

Answer 34

Net Secondary Production (NSP)
Egestion: Losses via urine and feces

Question 35

What does NSP become?

Answer 35

Heterotrophic biomass

Question 36

Most NSP in most ecosystems occur where

Answer 36

In detritivores