AP Environmental Science · Unit 1 The Living World
Learning Objectives
GPP: Gross Primary Productivity. The TOTAL amount of solar energy captured by producers via photosynthesis over a given time.
RL (Respiration Loss): Producers must use some of that energy themselves to stay alive (Cellular Respiration).
NPP: Net Primary Productivity. The remaining energy stored as biomass, visually represented as plant growth. This is the only energy available to herbivores!
Tags
NPPGPPPhotosynthesisBiomes
NPP (Net) =
GPP (Total Solar) -
R (Plant Respiration)
0
GPP Capture
➖
0
Respiration
🟰
0
NPP Available
Select Ecosystem
Tropical Rainforests have high temperatures and abundant rainfall year-round. They have the highest Gross and Net productivity of any terrestrial biome.
AP Exam Tip
Open Ocean has the LOWEST NPP per unit area because sunlight cannot penetrate deep water and nutrients are scarce. HOWEVER, because oceans cover 71% of Earth, they contribute massively to the global TOTAL NPP.