Productivity of an ecosystem is best determined by the
A)total amount of biomass in the system.
B)number of individuals of each species.
C)number of species present in the ecosystem.
D)total photosynthesis each year.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Productivity of an ecosystem is usually measured by the total amount of biomass that is produced through photosynthesis in a year. Hence, the best choice would be option D, i.e. total photosynthesis each year. Option A, i.e. total biomass in the system, is not always the appropriate measure of productivity as it can be influenced by factors such as consumer metabolism and decomposition. Option B, i.e. the number of individuals of each species, is also not a precise measure of productivity as it does not account for differences in the size and contribution of each individual species to the ecosystem. Option C, i.e. the number of species present, is not directly related to productivity and may not necessarily indicate a productive ecosystem.

Productivity of an Ecosystem Is Best Determined by the