Which one of the following factors would NOT influence the productivity of an ocean community?

Question

A.  the presence of nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria
B.  the season of the year
C.  levels of autotrophs
D.  fertilizer runoff
E.  the amount of rainfall

Clarify Question
· What is the key concept addressed by the question?
· What type of thinking is required?
 
Gather Content
· What do you already know about productivity?
 
Choose Answer
· Given what you now know, what information and/or problem solving approach is most likely to produce the correct answer?
 
Reflect on Process
· Did your problem-solving process lead you to the correct answer? If not, where did the process break down or lead you astray? How can you revise your approach to produce a more desirable result?

Answer 1

E.  the amount of rainfall


Clarify Question
· What is the key concept addressed by the question?
        o This question addresses productivity.
· What type of thinking is required?
        o This question is asking you to analyze the information given, using logic, to dissect the problem and determine the answer.
 
Gather Content
· What do you already know about productivity?
        o The productivity of a trophic level is the rate at which the organisms in the trophic level collectively synthesize new organic matter in their tissues.
        o Primary productivity is the productivity of the primary producers. An important complexity in analyzing the primary producers is that not only do they synthesize new organic matter by photosynthesis, but they also break down some of the organic matter to release energy by means of aerobic cellular respiration. The respiration of the primary producers, in this context, is the rate at which they break down organic compounds.
        o Gross primary productivity (GPP) is simply the raw rate at which the primary producers synthesize new organic matter; net primary productivity (NPP) is the GPP minus the respiration of the primary producers. The NPP represents the organic matter available for herbivores to use as food.
        o The productivity of a heterotroph trophic level is termed secondary productivity. For instance, the rate that new organic matter is made by means of individual growth and reproduction in all the herbivores in an ecosystem is the secondary productivity of the herbivore trophic level.
 
Choose Answer
· Given what you now know, what information and/or problem solving approach is most likely to produce the correct answer?
        o Since production is the amount of carbon fixed by the photosynthetic activity of plants, algae, and cyanobacteria, factors that increase their success increase production. For instance, nutrient availability from fertilizer or from nitrogen-fixing bacteria, or increased sunlight during the summer, will increase production.
        o On land, rainfall can also promote production. But in the ocean, this factor is likely to have little effect.
 
Reflect on Process
· Did your problem-solving process lead you to the correct answer? If not, where did the process break down or lead you astray? How can you revise your approach to produce a more desirable result?
        o The question required you to analyze the information given, using logic, to dissect the problem and determine the answer.
        o Did you recognize that many factors can influence the productivity of an ecosystem?