Final answer:
The primary productivity of an ecosystem, which is the rate at which plants and other photoautotrophs produce organic material, may not be limited by nutrient availability if there is an ample supply of nutrients and water.
Step-by-step explanation:
If ample nutrients and water are available, the primary productivity of an ecosystem may not be limited by the availability of nutrients.
Nutrients, such as carbon and nitrogen, play a crucial role in the life cycles of ecosystems, often acting as limiting factors in plant growth and primary production. Abiotic factors, namely temperature and moisture, significantly influence plant growth and the formation of biomass, which in turn affects the primary productivity of an ecosystem. The energy captured by photoautotrophs through processes like photosynthesis reflects an ecosystem's gross primary productivity, whereas the net primary productivity is a measure of biomass available as food after accounting for plant respiration.
Biomes with warm and wet climates tend to have the highest levels of net primary productivity due to optimal conditions for photosynthesis and plant growth. Conversely, ecosystems with low water availability often showcase lower primary productivity. When there is abundant water and sufficient nutrients present, ecosystems are capable of reaching their maximum potential for primary productivity, not constrained by these typically limiting factors.