IB ESS 2.3 Flows of energy and matter

Front

What is Net Primary Production (NPP)?

Back

NPP is the amount of organic material (biomass) produced by photosynthetic organisms in an ecosystem after accounting for the energy used in cellular respiration.

Front

How is Net Primary Production calculated?

Back

NPP = Gross Primary Production (GPP) - Respiration.

Front

What does GPP stand for?

Back

Gross Primary Production, which is the total amount of energy captured by photosynthesis.

Front

What is the role of nitrogen in plants?

Back

Plants use nitrogen to synthesize proteins, which are essential for growth and development.

Front

Which of the following is NOT a cycle: Water, Energy, Nitrogen, Phosphorus?

Back

Energy is NOT a cycle; it flows through ecosystems.

Front

What unit is commonly used to illustrate energy in a system model?

Back

Biomass per unit area (e.g., g m^-2).

Front

What is Gross Primary Production (GPP)?

Back

GPP is the total amount of energy captured by photosynthetic organisms before any is used for respiration.

Front

What is the difference between Gross and Net Primary Production?

Back

GPP is the total energy captured, while NPP is the energy available after subtracting the energy used in respiration.

Front

What is the significance of primary productivity in an ecosystem?

Back

Primary productivity determines the energy available to support all other trophic levels in the ecosystem.

Front

What is a trophic level?

Back

A trophic level is a position in a food chain or food web, defined by how organisms obtain energy.