Biomass:
- Mass of living organisms at a particular time in particular areas is called biomass in unit areas.
- The biomass of species is expressed in terms of fresh or dry weight.
- Biomass is expressed in terms of g(-2) or energy ( kcal m(-2)).
Biomass productivity:
- The rate of biomass production is called productivity.
- Biomass productivity is expressed in terms of g(-2) yr(-1) or (kcal m(-2)) yr(-1).
Biomass productivity can be divided into two types:
- Primary Productivity
- Secondary Productivity
Primary productivity;
It is the amount of biomass or organic matter is produced by unit areas over the time period by the plant or autotrophs.
Primary Productivity can be divided into two parts:
- Gross primary productivity(GPP)
- Net primary productivity(NPP)
The Gross Primary Productivity and Net Primary Productivity:
- The gross primary productivity of an ecosystem is the rate of production of organic matter during photosynthesis.
- Some amount of GPP is utilized by plants in respiration.
- Gross primary productivity minus respiration losses (R), is the net primary productivity (NPP).
- Net primary productivity is the available biomass for the consumption of heterotrophs.
For example,
If autotrophs produce 100 kcal per square meter per year then Gross Primary productivity will e 100 kcal per square meter per year. As per the energy consumption rule of the ecosystem, 90 % of the produced energy is used by plants only 10 % is available for herbivores then only 10 % of it or 10 kcal per square meter per year will be net primary productivity.
Secondary productivity;
Secondary production is defined as the rate of formation of new organic matter by consumers such as animals, fungi, and bacteria.
The most productive ecosystem in decreasing order of productivity are:- Estuaries, Swamp, marshes
- Tropical Rain forest
- Temperate forest
- Taiga Forest
- Savanna
- Grassland
- Semi-Arid Desert
- Open Ocean
- Extreme Desert
Principle of biomass productivity:
- The constant input of solar energy is required for any ecosystem.
- Biomass productivity depends on climatic factors and insolation; Biomass productivity of the same ecosystem is not the same all the month.
- For long-run sustainability, the biomass production pyramid should be upright for the terrestrial ecosystem.
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