Natural geography:
Phytomass and net primary production
Phytomass and net production |
Natural geography:
Phytomass and net primary production
Phytomass and net production |
Diffeent climates of of the globe maintain different flora, fauna and ecosystems. There are in every climatic zones certain circumstances to organisms and their productions - in general harder in arctic areas, more convenient in moist areas of tropic. In the below table are some facts: areas of some climatic zones, phytomasses and net primary productions. Phytomass = plant biomass, net primary production = new, visible production of green plants generated by photosynthesis (photosynthesis minus respiration of plants).
Phytomass and net primary production in different climatic zones.
Amounts are partly estimated, because there are not much strict measurements
(especially measurements of underground phytomass).
|
Area 106 km2 |
Area |
Phytomass |
Phytomass % |
Net primary production109to a-1 |
Net primary production% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Arcti |
8 |
1,6 |
13,8 |
0,6 |
1,3 |
0,6 |
Boreal |
23 |
4,5 |
439,1 |
18,3 |
15,2 |
0,5 |
Subboreal |
22 |
4,5 |
278,7 |
11,5 |
18,0 |
7,7 |
Subtropical |
24 |
4,8 |
323,9 |
13,5 |
34,6 |
14,8 |
Tropical |
56 |
10,8 |
1347,1 |
56,0 |
102,5 |
44,2 |
Continents*) |
133 |
26,2 |
2402,6 |
100,0 |
171,6 |
73,8 |
Ice sheets |
14 |
2,7 |
0,0 |
0,0 |
0,0 |
0,0 |
Inland waters |
2 |
0,4 |
0,04 |
0,01 |
1,0 |
0,4 |
Continents, total |
149 |
29,3 |
2402,6 |
100,0 |
172,6 |
74,2 |
Seas, total |
361 |
70,7 |
0,2 |
0,001 |
60,0 |
25,8 |
Globe, total |
510 |
100,0 |
2402,8 |
100,0 |
232,6 |
100,0 |
*) = excluding ice sheets and inland waters.
- Source: Sisula, H., 1977: Ekologian perusteet. - WSOY.
In this table is no that fluctuations, which exist in every ecosystems of climatic zone, for instance: precipitation and sorts of soil.
However there are some interesting features in this table:
1) The area of our boreal zone is only scant half of the tropical zone, and the phytomass of boreal zone is only third of the tropical zone.
2) Net primary production is here below fifth of the tropical zone. But however the northern taiga ( ± boreal zone) is able to exploit sunlight of short summertime very well. More: forest production of boreal zone! ja amount of global forets!
3) The phytomass of Arctic zone - naturally - is outstandingly less than in boresl zone. Also the net primary production is exceedingly scanty.
4) Net primary production in waters - both in the seas and inland waters is rather lively, but biomass is scanty, because many organisms in water are so short-lived (for instance plankton).