15. Phytoplankton blooms makes up much of the ocean's primary | UGC NET/JRF GEOGRAPHY
15. Phytoplankton blooms makes up much of the ocean's primary productivity in Earth's oceans.
Primary Productivity Primary Productivity refers to the generation of biomass from autotrophic organisms such as plants. Photosynthesis is the primary tool for the creation of organic material from inorganic compounds such as carbon dioxide and water. Primary productivity can be divided into two aspects:
Gross primary productivity Net primary productivity Gross primary productivity
The solar energy trapped by the photosynthetic organism is called gross primary productivity. All the organic matters produced falls under gross primary productivity. This depends upon the photosynthetic activity and environmental factors.
Net primary productivity
This is estimated by the gross productivity minus energy lost in respiration.
NPP = GPP – Energy lost by respiration
It the net energy stored in the plants. This energy serves as food for the animals that feed on plants. It is measured as the amount of organic matter produced in a community in a given time. Annually, over 170 billion tons of net primary productivity occurs over the entire biosphere.
Secondary Productivity Heterotrophs such as animals influence Secondary Productivity. It is the accumulation of energy at the consumer’s level. It keeps moving from one organism to another, unlike primary productivity. This process occurs as a result of organic materials being transferred between various trophic levels. It is also referred to as the rate of increase in the biomass of heterotrophs. Organisms such as animals, fungi, bacteria and numerous protists influence Secondary Production.
