Primary productivity

Pronunciation
/PRIMARY proh-DUK-ti-siv-i-tee/
Category
Ecology

Definition

The rate at which energy is captured from sunlight or other sources by primary producers (e.g., plants and algae) in an ecosystem.

Etymology

From Latin 'primarius', meaning 'first', and 'productio', meaning 'production'.

Example

The primary productivity of a tropical rainforest is high due to abundant sunlight and rainfall.

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