Natalia Cocom and Lili Trujeque

Primary Productivity and Energy Dynamics - Key

20/7/16

Introduction to Primary Productivity

(http://kingfish.coastal.edu/biology/sgilman/778PrimProd.htm)
The flow of energy through any ecosystem starts with the fixation of sunlight by plants and
other autotrophic organisms. In this way the plant accumulates energy and this energy is
called primary production. The rate at which this energy accumulates is called primary
productivity. The total energy accumulated is gross primary productivity, however, since
plants use some of this energy themselves, it is not all available for the food web. The difference
between what is accumulated and what is available for the food web is called net primary
production expressed in kilocalories or grams m-2 y-1 or kcal or g/m2/y. This is measured by
sequentially measuring growth of the biomass over time by marking the plants somehow, or
measuring a total at the end of the growing season. Alternatively you can measure oxygen
production or CO2 consumption both of which equal grams C produced.
In general, swamps and marshes have the highest primary production of all the world's
ecosystems. Primary production of all wetland types varies from 600-2000 gC/m2/y.
To review a little:
In general, the "openness" of a wetland to hydrological fluxes is probably one of the most
important determinants of primary productivity. So wetlands that are stagnant are less
productive than those that flow or are open to flooding rivers. This makes sense because a flowthrough system constantly gets more nutrients. This isn't 100% though because wetlands get
most of their nutrients from recycling rather than from the outside. This is what allows them all
to be fairly productive.
Experimental Scenario: (from old AP Bio Lab 12 and PH School Lab Bench)
1. Fill six bottles with water containing a culture of photosynthetic algae.
2. Measure the initial dissolved oxygen content of the water.
3. Leave one bottle alone, cover one bottle in tin foil and use increasing numbers of screens
to cover the remaining bottles. Then place all of the bottles under a light source for 24
hours. This will simulate a decrease in the amount of light available to the algae since
each additional screen will block out more light and the tin foil will completely obscure the
light from the algae.
4. Wait 24 hours and then measure the dissolved oxygen level of each bottle.
5. Use the O2 readings to determine the primary productivity conducted in each bottle.

a.

b.

c.

Analysis:
1. Why is dissolved oxygen a good measure of primary productivity?
Its a direct measurement of how much photosynthesis has been done.
2. What process(es) occur in each of the following bottles:
a. 100% light bottle : photosynthesis and cellular respiration
b. Dark bottle: cellular respiration
3. For each of the calculations show in Step #5 of the Procedure, explain how it provides the given
measurement. (Example, for calculation a, why does subtracting the amount of dissolved oxygen in the
dark bottle from the amount of dissolved oxygen in the initial sample provide a measure of respiration?)
a.

The dark bottle has only been doing respiration so the difference in the amount of O2 in the
beginning and the amount in the dark bottle at the end is all as a result of respiration

b. The light bottle has done both photosynthesis and respiration, by subtracting the dark bottle,
which is a negative number, you add in what is lost from respiration and gives you the gross
amount made by photosynthesis
c.

This calculation gives you the amount of oxygen gained over the experiment by photosynthesis,
since respiration was also occurring we get the net productivity

4. The following dissolved oxygen readings were taken. Assume the initial DO was measured at 4 mg
O2/L. Complete the first three columns of the data table below, the last column will be done after Part
Two.

Light
O%
2%
10%
25%
65%
100%

Bottle

Gross

Net Productivity

Gross Carbon fixed

E=1

Productivity
11=0

1-4 = -3

-3 x .698 x .536 =

2 4 = -2
3 4 = -1
54=1
10 4 = 6
14 4 = 10

-1.12
-2 x .698 x .536 = -.74
-1 x .698 x .536 = -.37
1 x .698 x .536 = .37
6 x .698 x .536 = 2.24
10 x .698 x .536 = 3.7

F=2
C=3
A=5
B = 10
D= 14

21=1
31=2
51=4
10 1 = 9
14 1 = 13

5. Under what circumstance would an autotroph have no net productivity? For the above problem, at what
light intensity do you expect that to happen? Please explain.

When the amount of photosynthesis done exactly equals the amount of respiration. In our experiment it would
be at about 17.5% light in between 10% and 25%.
Part Two: Energy Dynamics
Primary Productivity matters to ecosystems because it allows us to determine how much energy is available for
the higher trophic levels. In order to determine how much mass is available for the next trophic level, the
amount of O2 produced can be used to determine the amount of CO2 assimilated.
1 ml of O2 = .536 mg of Carbon assimilated
To convert: ppm O2 = mg O2/L
mg O2/L x 0.698 = ml O2/L
ml O2/L x 0.536 = mg carbon fixed/L
Explanation of carbon assimilation:
(http://www.globalchange.umich.edu/globalchange1/current/lectures/kling/energyflow/energyflow.html) A hare
(or a population of hares) ingests plant matter; we'll call this ingestion. Part of this material is processed by the
digestive system and used to make new cells or tissues, and this part is called assimilation. What cannot be
assimilated, for example maybe some parts of the plant stems or roots, exits the hare's body and this is
called excretion. Thus we can make the following definition: Assimilation = (Ingestion - Excretion). The
efficiency of this process of assimilation varies in animals, ranging from 15-50% if the food is plant material,
and from 60-90% if the food is animal material.
The hare uses a significant fraction of the assimilated energy just being a hare -- maintaining a high, constant
body temperature, synthesizing proteins, and hopping about. This energy used (lost) is attributed to cellular
respiration. The remainder goes into making more hare biomass by growth and reproduction (that is, increasing
the overall biomass of hares by creating offspring). The conversion of assimilated energy into new tissue is
termed secondary production in consumers, and it is conceptually the same as the primary production or NPP
of plants. In our example, the secondary production of the hare is the energy available to foxes who eat the
hares for their needs. Clearly, because of all of the energy costs of hares engaged in normal metabolic activities,
the energy available to foxes is much less than the energy available to hares.
Analysis:
1. Use the equations above to determine the Gross Carbon fixed in each bottle. (Column 4)
In table: column 4
2. In which bottle is the most carbon available to the next trophic level? Explain why this is.
Bottle D because the amount of carbon fixed is at 3.7mg carbon has been assimilated.
3. Use your calculations and your understanding of primary and secondary production to explain why a
tropical rainforest can support a larger food web than the arctic tundra.
It can support a larger food web because its primary productivity is quite large which means the amount
of energy is large and can be passed on to the secondary production or consumers which can then
assimilate energy into new tissue.

Refer to the following diagram for #4 and 5 (POGIL Ecological Pyramids)

4. Why can most ecosystems support no more than 4 levels in a trophic pyramid?
Because the amount of energy available to animals is decreasing and will not be enough to sustain them
higher in the food chain.
5. Explain why a vegetarian diet is said to be more energy efficient for humans than one based on meat.
The plant is the primary producer that captures the energy from the sun to make their own food through
a process called photosynthesis. This energy stays within the plants and when animals eat the plants
they then receive this much needed fuel since animals cannot absorb sunlight. The body will then be
able to break down this food and the energy can be stored for future use and sustain the body processes.
While meat is made up of protein and has little energy but not enough to keep the body functioning
efficiently.