Solution
[Link] primary productivity varies in different types of ecosystems because
A)It depends upon plant species (producers) of a given ecosystem and their photosynthetic
capacity.
B)It is dependent on various environmental factors, availability of nutrients.
[Link] rate of biomass production is called productivity in term of gm-2 yr-1 for an ecosystem.
Productivity of an ecosystem can be categorised as:
(A)Gross Primary Productivity (GPP)
(B)Net Primary Productivity (NPP).
GPP of an ecosystem is the rate of production of organic matter during photosynthesis. A
considerable amount of GPP is utilised by plants in respiration
NPP is the available biomass for the consumption of heterotrophs (herbivores and
decomposers).
NPP=GPP-RESPIRATION
Secondary productivity is defined as the rate of formation of new organic matter by consumers.
[Link] It is the raw material for decomposition. It includes dead remains of plants (leaves,
bark and flowers) and of animals including faecal matter.
It is largely an aerobic process, i.e. requires oxygen for its processing. Different steps involved
in the process of decomposition are
A)Fragmentation is the process of breaking down of detritus into smaller particles.
B)Leaching is the process by which water soluble inorganic nutrients go down into the soil
horizons and get precipitated as unavailable salts.
C)Catabolism is the process of degradation of detritus into simple organic material by the action
of bacterial and fungal enzymes and their further conversion into inorganic compounds.
D)Humification is a process that leads to an accumulation of a dark coloured, amorphous and
colloidal substance called humus, which is highly resistant to microbial action and decomposes
at a very slow rate. It serves as a reservoir of nutrients.
E)Mineralisation is the process by which humus is further degraded by microbial action and
releases inorganic nutrients
[Link], it is possible for a species to occupy more than one trophic level in the same ecosystem
at the same time. This occurs because trophic levels represent functional, rather than
species-specific, positions in energy flow. Omnivores, such as sparrows, humans, or bears, act
as primary consumers when eating plants and secondary/tertiary consumers when eating meat.
For example, sparrow is primary consumer when it eats seeds and secondary consumer when
feeds on insects and worms.
[Link] pyramid of energy is always upright because energy is lost at each step (trophic level) as
it moves up a food chain, primarily as heat, with only about 10% transferred to the next level.
This means there's always more energy at the producer level than at consumer levels, creating
a broad base and narrowing top, a fundamental principle of energy flow in ecosystems. .
[Link] producers occupy the first trophic level in terrestrial ecosystem and thus, make base of
food chain. These producers (plants) are grazed upon by the grazers (herbivores). Primary
carnivores prey upon herbivores and are eaten up by secondary carnivores.
The decomposers act on all dead animals/plants and return nutrients stored in them to the soil.
These nutrients are again used up by the plants and cycle goes on.
This way the grazing food chain and detritus food chain are linked up.