Textbook Question
Which of the following is the longest-lived reservoir for carbon?
a. Atmospheric CO2
b. Marine plankton (primary producers and consumers)
c. Fossil fuels
d. Wood
Ch. 53 - Ecosystems and Global Ecology
Freeman8th EditionBiological ScienceISBN: 9780138276263
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Table of contents
- Ch. 1 - Biology: The Study of Life13
- Ch. 2 - Water and Carbon: The Chemical Basis of Life14
- Ch.3 - Protein Structure and Function10
- Ch.4 - Nucleic Acids and the RNA World10
- Ch. 5 - An Introduction to Carbohydrates10
- Ch. 6 - Lipids, Membranes, and the First Cells11
- Ch. 7 - Inside the Cell10
- Ch. 8 - Energy and Enzymes: An Introduction to Metabolism10
- Ch. 9 - Cellular Respiration and Fermentation11
- Ch. 10 - Photosynthesis12
- Ch. 11 - Cell-Cell Interactions12
- Ch. 12 - The Cell Cycle8
- Ch. 13 - Meiosis12
- Ch. 14 - Mendel and the Gene23
- Ch. 15 - DNA and the Gene: Synthesis and Repair15
- Ch. 16 - How Genes Work16
- Ch. 17 - Transcription, RNA Processing, and Translation16
- Ch. 18 - Control of Gene Expression in Bacteria16
- Ch. 19 - Control of Gene Expression in Eukaryotes12
- Ch. 20 - The Molecular Revolution: Biotechnology, Genomics, and New Frontiers15
- Ch. 21 - Genes, Development, and Evolution12
- Ch. 22 - Evolution by Natural Selection16
- Ch. 23 - Evolutionary Processes13
- Ch. 24 - Speciation15
- Ch. 25 - Phylogenies and the History of Life13
- Ch. 26 - Bacteria and Archaea15
- Ch. 27 - Diversification of Eukaryotes16
- Ch. 28 - Green Algae and Land Plants16
- Ch. 29 - Fungi18
- Ch. 30 - An Introduction to Animals9
- Ch. 31 - Protostome Animals15
- Ch. 32 - Deuterostome Animals17
- Ch. 33 - Viruses16
- Ch. 34 - Plant Form and Function16
- Ch. 35 - Water and Sugar Transport in Plants16
- Ch. 36 - Plant Nutrition13
- Ch. 37 - Plant Sensory Systems, Signals, and Responses16
- Ch. 38 - Flowering Plant Reproduction and Development16
- Ch. 39 - Animal Form and Function17
- Ch. 40 - Water and Electrolyte Balance in Animals16
- Ch. 41 - Animal Nutrition16
- Ch. 42 - Gas Exchange and Circulation16
- Ch. 43 - Animal Nervous Systems16
- Ch. 44 - Animal Sensory Systems16
- Ch. 45 - Animal Movement11
- Ch. 46 - Chemical Signals in Animals16
- Ch. 47 - Animal Reproduction and Development16
- Ch. 48 - The Immune System in Animals16
- Ch. 49 - An Introduction to Ecology15
- Ch. 50 - Behavioral Ecology16
- Ch. 51 - Population Ecology16
- Ch. 52 - Community Ecology20
- Ch. 53 - Ecosystems and Global Ecology17
- Ch. 54 - Biodiversity and Conservation Ecology18
Chapter 53, Problem 5
If the GPP of a grassland is 5000 kcal/m2/year and 55 percent is used up by cellular respiration, what is the NPP?
a. 2250 kcal/m2/year
b. 2750 kcal/m2/year
c. 5000 kcal/m2/year
d. Need more data
Verified step by step guidance1
Understand the terms: GPP (Gross Primary Productivity) is the total amount of energy captured by photosynthesis. NPP (Net Primary Productivity) is the energy that remains after cellular respiration, which is available for growth and reproduction.
Identify the given values: GPP is 5000 kcal/m²/year, and 55% of this energy is used for cellular respiration.
Calculate the energy used for cellular respiration: Multiply the GPP by the percentage used for respiration. Use the formula:
Determine the NPP: Subtract the energy used for cellular respiration from the GPP. Use the formula:
Review the options: Compare your calculated NPP with the given choices to identify the correct answer.
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Key Concepts
Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Gross Primary Productivity (GPP)
Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) is the total amount of energy captured by photosynthesis in an ecosystem, measured over a specific area and time period. It represents the total energy available before any is used for cellular respiration by producers. In this question, GPP is given as 5000 kcal/m2/year.
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04:36
Primary Production in Aquatic Ecosystems
Net Primary Productivity (NPP)
Net Primary Productivity (NPP) is the amount of energy that remains after producers have used some for cellular respiration. It represents the energy available for growth and consumption by herbivores and decomposers. NPP is calculated by subtracting the energy used in respiration from the GPP. In this scenario, NPP can be calculated as 5000 kcal/m2/year minus 55% used for respiration.
Recommended video:
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04:36Primary Production in Aquatic Ecosystems
Cellular Respiration in Producers
Cellular respiration in producers is the process by which plants convert glucose and oxygen into energy, releasing carbon dioxide and water as byproducts. This energy is used for metabolic activities and growth. In the context of the question, 55% of the GPP is used for cellular respiration, which is essential for calculating the NPP.
Recommended video:
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03:39Introduction to Cellular Respiration
Related Practice
Textbook Question
Explain why it is more energy efficient (in terms of the amount of total NPP required) to eat a pound of tofu (bean curd) than a pound of hamburger.
2
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Textbook Question
Why are the open oceans nutrient poor? Why are coastal areas and intertidal habitats relatively nutrient rich?
Textbook Question
Explain why decomposition rates in a field in Nebraska would differ from the decomposition rates in a field in the Amazon. How do decomposers regulate nutrient availability in ecosystems?
Textbook Question
True or False: Most of the net primary productivity that is consumed is used for growth by primary consumers. Explain.
Textbook Question
In a model of the carbon cycle, how would you label an arrow from the atmosphere to plants?
a. cellular respiration
b. photosynthesis
c. decomposition
d. consumption