Primary Productivity
Primary productivity is the rate at which energy is accumulated and converted through photosynthesis or chemosynthesis into organic substances. Biomass is the dry weight of all the organic matter within organisms of the ecosystem. Biomass within an ecosystem is determined by how much and how quickly the producers in the ecosystem are able to capture and store the chemical energy. Biomass is also determined by the productivity of a biome. The more productive a biome is, the larger its biomass.
The arctic tundra has a relatively low rate of net primary productivity due to the barren landscapes caused by harsh cold temperatures and short growing seasons. This makes it hard for plants and vegetation to grow, thus, producing less organic substances compared to other biomes. The arctic tundra has a net primary productivity of 600 kcal per square metre, per year. |