How much living matter does a hectare of grass make in a year, and what becomes of it when it dies? Gross and net primary productivity, secondary productivity, what limits them, and the five steps by which dead matter is broken down into humus and minerals. Python follows the numbers.
3 lessons, about 1 h 30 min3 simulations10 problems3 practice questionsPython in every lesson
Created by StemPy LabPlants make new living matter from sunlight, and they also use some of it for their own life. This lesson separates what the plants make (gross primary productivity) from what is left for the rest of the ecosystem (net primary productivity). It gives the units and uses the numbers of the whole biosphere.
The consumers make living matter too. This lesson defines secondary productivity and shows what controls the productivity of a place. It explains why the ocean is poor for its size. Then it gives the energy budget of an animal as A-Level and IB teach it.
A dead leaf does not stay on the ground for ever. This lesson follows its breakdown through the five steps, from fragmentation to mineralisation. It shows what makes the breakdown fast or slow. Then it gives a simple model of the mass that is left.
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