Final answer:
Secondary production is the energy available to the next trophic level after primary producers, while the Green World Hypothesis argues that predators keep ecosystems balanced by controlling herbivore populations. The net primary productivity forms the base for secondary production, showing how energy flows through ecosystems.
Step-by-step explanation:
In simple terms, secondary production refers to the energy content available to organisms that make up the next trophic level beyond the primary producers. This includes animals that eat plants (primary consumers) and further trophic levels such as predators. The net consumer productivity is a component of secondary production and represents the portion of energy that becomes incorporated into consumer biomass.The Green World Hypothesis posits that predators are essential for maintaining the balance of ecosystems and for keeping the world green and filled with plants. It suggests that without predators, herbivores would consume a disproportionate amount of vegetation, leading to ecosystem destabilization.
An example of secondary production can be seen in Silver Springs, where the net production efficiency helps primary consumers, such as herbivorous fish, grow and gain energy from the plants. This follows from the initial energy conversion done by plants, known as the gross primary productivity, and the remaining energy after plants' growth and metabolism is the net primary productivity.On a broader scale, holistic ecosystem models attempt to quantify the intricate dynamics involving these concepts, though these models are often constrained by economic and logistical challenges.