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Factors Impacting Primary Production quiz #1 Flashcards

Factors Impacting Primary Production quiz #1
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  • What are the primary factors that limit net primary production (NPP) in aquatic ecosystems, and how do they influence productivity?
    The primary factors limiting NPP in aquatic ecosystems are light and nutrients (mainly nitrogen and phosphorus). Light availability decreases with depth, so surface waters have higher productivity due to more light for photosynthesis. Nutrients are often limited in surface waters but can increase NPP when added.
  • How does eutrophication affect oxygen levels and aquatic life in aquatic ecosystems?
    Eutrophication increases nutrient levels, boosting NPP and supporting more life. However, when organisms die, their decay consumes oxygen, leading to oxygen depletion. This can create low-oxygen environments where aerobic organisms, like fish, cannot survive.
  • Which environmental factors increase net primary production (NPP) in terrestrial ecosystems, and which ecosystems are the most and least productive?
    NPP in terrestrial ecosystems increases with higher moisture, temperature, and nutrient availability (especially nitrogen and phosphorus). Tropical rainforests are the most productive due to high precipitation and temperature, while deserts and tundras are the least productive because of low precipitation and/or low temperatures.
  • What adaptation helps some terrestrial plants maximize nitrogen uptake, and why is this important for NPP?
    Some terrestrial plants form mutualistic relationships with nitrogen-fixing bacteria in root nodules. These bacteria convert unusable nitrogen gas into forms plants can use, increasing nitrogen availability and supporting higher NPP.
  • What are the two primary factors that limit net primary production (NPP) in aquatic ecosystems?
    The two primary limiting factors are light and nutrients, mainly nitrogen and phosphorus.
  • How does light availability change with depth in aquatic ecosystems, and how does this affect NPP?
    Light availability decreases with depth, so surface waters have higher NPP due to more light for photosynthesis.
  • What is eutrophication and how does it impact oxygen levels in aquatic ecosystems?
    Eutrophication is the process of nutrient enrichment, which increases NPP but leads to oxygen depletion as decaying organisms consume oxygen.
  • Which environmental factors increase NPP in terrestrial ecosystems?
    NPP in terrestrial ecosystems increases with higher moisture, temperature, and nutrient availability, especially nitrogen and phosphorus.
  • What adaptation helps some terrestrial plants maximize nitrogen uptake, and why is this important?
    Some plants form mutualistic relationships with nitrogen-fixing bacteria in root nodules, which convert nitrogen gas into usable forms, supporting higher NPP.
  • Which terrestrial ecosystems are the most and least productive, and why?
    Tropical rainforests are the most productive due to high precipitation and temperature, while deserts and tundras are the least productive because of low precipitation and/or low temperatures.