Net primary productivity is ______________
A) the energy used by plants to make biomass after respiration
B) the total biomass of an entire ecosystem
C) the amount of detritus produced by an ecosystem
D) the biomass of producers minus that of consumers
E) the amount of energy consumers derive from producers

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Net primary productivity is defined as the amount of energy that plants store in their tissues as organic molecules after they have used some of that energy for their own cellular respiration. In other words, it is the energy that is available to the rest of the food chain. Choice B is incorrect because net primary productivity refers only to the productivity of producers, not the entire ecosystem. Choice C is incorrect because detritus is the dead organic matter produced by the ecosystem, not a measure of productivity. Choice D is incorrect because it is the biomass of producers minus the biomass of decomposers, not consumers. Choice E is incorrect because it refers to the energy transferred between trophic levels, not the amount of energy stored by producers.

Net Primary Productivity Is ______________