1.

8 Primary Productivity (Smedes video) Name ________________________

PP Basics

Primary Productivity: rate that __________ energy is ____________ into ____________ compounds via
__________ over a unit of __________

Aka: rate of photosynthesis of all producers in an area over a given period of time

Since photosynthesis leads to ____________, you can also think of PP as the ____________ of plant
_____________ in an area over a given period of time

units: kcal/m /yr.

2

_______ PP = ________ plant growth = ______________ of food & shelter for animals

Ecosystems with _______ PP are usually more _____________________ (more div. of species) than
ecosystems with low PP

Calculating PP

Respiration loss (RL): plants _____________ up some of the _____________ they generate via
photosynthesis by _________ __________ __________ (movement, internal transportation, etc.)

Think of RL as taxes plants need to play

Gross Primary Productivity (GPP): The _____________ amount of ____________ energy (light) that plants
capture and ___________ to energy (______________) through photosynthesis

Think of GPP as the total paycheck amount the plant earns

NPP = GPP - RL

Net Primary Productivity (NPP): The amount of energy (_____________) leftover for ________________
after plants have used some for respiration

Think of NPP as the actual amount of the plant’s paycheck it keeps after taxes
 INCLUDE LABELS ON GRAPH

Ecological Efficiency

The portion of ______________ solar energy that is captured by plants & converted into biomass (NPP or
_____________ ________________ for consumers)

Generally, only ________________ of all incoming sunlight is captured & ______________ into GPP via
photosynthesis

Of that 1%, only about ____________ (or ____________ of total incoming solar energy) is converted into
______________/______________ (NPP)

Some ecosystems are _____________ ______________ (higher NPP) than others.

Trends in Productivity

The more ______________ a biome is, the ________ the _____________ of animal life it can
______________ (high. biodiv.)
***Try to predict the most & least productive terrestrial and aquatic biomes ***

Water _____________, ____________ temperature, and ____________ availability are all factors that
lead to ______________ NPP
Shortage of any of these three factors will lead to decreased NPP

Ex: Desert (low H O & nutrients)

2

Tundra (low temp & liquid H O)

2

Open ocean (low nutrients)

LIST ALL THE BIOMES THAT ARE LOW IN PRODUCTIVITY.

Describe the process of net primary productivity (NPP).

Describe the relationship between primary productivity and biodiversity.

1.9 & 1.10 Trophic Levels & The 10% Rule

Conservation of Matter & Energy

Matter & energy are never ____________ or __________; they only __________ ___________
Ex: Tree dies & the C/N/H O/P are returned to the soil & atmosphere
2

Ex: Sun rays (__________ energy) hit leaves & are __________ into glucose
(___________ energy)

__________ __________ of __________: energy is never created or destroyed

__________ __________ demonstrate conservation of matter (C/N/H O/P) 2

__________ __________ demonstrate conservation of energy

Ex: When a rabbit eats a leaf, the energy from the leaf (glucose) is transferred to the
rabbit & stored as body tissue like fat/muscle

2nd Law of Thermodynamics

Each time energy is transferred, some of it is ______________ as ______________

Applied to food webs: the amount of useable energy decreases___________ as you move
_____________ the food chain (organisms use up most of it for movement, development, etc.)

Because *available* energy decreases with each step up the food chain, a
_______________ (troph = nourishment or growth) is used to _________________ how
energy moves _____________ an ecosystem
2nd Law of Thermodynamics

10% Rule: in trophic pyramids, only about __________ of the energy from ___________
___________ makes it to the ____________ ___________; the other ___________ is
_____________ by the organism & ______________ as heat

Trophic Levels & 10% Biomass

___________ Consumers: animals that eat secondary consumers or carnivores & omnivores
(aka - top/apex predators)

___________ Consumers: animals that eat primary consumers or herbivores (aka - carnivores
& omnivores)

___________ Consumers: animals that eat plants (herbivores)

___________ (plants) “produce”- really convert sun’s light energy into chemical energy (glucose)

10% rule also applies to _____________ (or mass of all living things at each trophic level) Since
energy is needed for growth & only 10% of energy transfers from one level to the next, only 10%
of the biomass can be grown/supported

Calculating Biomass & Energy

To calculate biomass or energy available at the next level up, ___________ the
___________ ___________ ___________ __________ to the V__________(or _____ by 10)

Calculating Biomass & Energy

Try calculating biomass

Complete the amount of biomass transferred to each trophic level. Place the # valve next
to the appropriate trophic level.
 Practice FRQs 1.9 & 1.10

Explain why a relatively large forest can only support a small number of wolves.

Calculate the amount of energy available to a tertiary consumer in the following ecosystem.
100,000 J of energy produced by plants in the ecosystem SHOW PROBLEM SET UP

1.11 Food Chains & Food Webs

Food Web Basics

Shows how ____________ & __________ flow ________ an ecosystem, from organism to
organism
When one organism __________ (eats) ___________, the matter (C/N/H O/P) and energy
2

(glucose, muscle tissue, etc.) are ___________ on to the _____________

__________ in food webs indicate _____________ of ____________ ____________ (point

to the org. taking in the energy)

See food web on next page

Food Web vs. Chain

Food chains just show ____________, _________ ___________ of energy & matter
Food webs have at least 2 different, ___________ food chains

Webs show that organisms can exist at different trophic levels

grass → hare → owl (sec. consumer)
grass → grasshopper → robin → owl (tert. consumer.)
Interactions & Trophic Cascade

Food webs show how _____________ or __________ in ___________. __________ of a

given species _________ the rest of the food web
Ex: Increase in python pop.
 Decrease in frog & rat pops.
 Increase in grasshopper pop.
 Decrease in corn

___________ ____________: removal or addition of a ___________ ____________ has a
_____________ effect ____________ through lower trophic levels.

Ex: decline in wolf pop. = increase in deer pop. which leads to overgrazing & decline in trees
Practice FRQ 1.11

Describe one direct effect that a

decline in the frog population would
have on the food web.

Identify an organism that is both a secondary and tertiary consumer.