How much of Earth's primary productivity is used or preempted by humans?

What will be an ideal response?


Since humans are at the top of the biomass pyramid it can be expected that a very high percentage of Earth's primary productivity is used by humans and other top-level organisms. However, because of their place in the ecosystem and tendency to treat the ecosystem in an unsustainable fashion, humans use and preempt the Earth's primary productivity at unreasonably high rates: approximately 30% of the Earth's total production.

Environmental & Atmospheric Sciences

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The United States Clean Coal Power Initiative has developed technology to

A) remove all the carbon dioxide from the effluent stream of coal-fired plants. B) produce synthetic gas from coal and remove or concentrate pollutants generated in the process. C) chemically remove carbon from coal, creating a non-polluting fuel. D) burn coal anaerobically so that the only waste products are water and sulfur oxides.

Environmental & Atmospheric Sciences

Some scientists suggest we can increase the amount of carbon dioxide removed from the atmosphere by adding ________ to stimulate productivity in tropical oceans

A) calcium B) carbon C) iron D) magnesium E) manganese

Environmental & Atmospheric Sciences

Deforestation is the major cause of the increase in atmospheric CO2 content

Indicate whether the statement is true or false.

Environmental & Atmospheric Sciences

A perched water table is a highly desirable and reliable source of ground water.

Answer the following statement true (T) or false (F)

Environmental & Atmospheric Sciences