Question

Which of the three (GPP, NPP, & R) will always be the highest and why?

A) Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) - due to the high rate of photosynthesis and energy capture by plants.
B) Net Primary Productivity (NPP) - as it accounts for the energy used by plants for their own respiration, leaving more energy available for growth and reproduction.
C) Respiration (R) - since it represents the total energy released by organisms through cellular respiration, which is essential for their survival and metabolic activities.

Answer 1

Net Primary Productivity (NPP) will always be the highest among GPP, NPP, and R because it accounts for the energy used by plants for their own respiration, leaving more energy available for growth and reproduction.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Net Primary Productivity (NPP) will always be the highest among GPP, NPP, and R. This is because NPP accounts for the energy used by plants for their own respiration, leaving more energy available for growth and reproduction. On the other hand, Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) represents the total energy captured by plants through photosynthesis, but some of this energy is used for plant respiration. Respiration (R) represents the total energy released by organisms through cellular respiration, but it is essential for their survival and metabolic activities and not all of it is available for growth and reproduction.