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This concept plays into what ecologists call Trophic Levels , or levels of energy transference that can be depicted as an inverted pyramid. Net primary productivity is at the base of the trophic pyramid, followed by herbivores and then primary and secondary carnivores. The Second Law Of Thermodynamics then dictates that each departure to a successive trophic level causes some of the prior useful energy to be lost in the way of heat. The net primary productivity should not be confused with the Gross Primary Productivity (GPP). This refers to the rate at which an ecosystem accumulates biomass ''including'' the energy used for the process of respiration. Both the Net Primary Productivity and Gross Primary Productivity are often measured in kg/m&2/year. |
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