COSEE Ocean Systems: News
Can Earth's Plants Keep Up with Us?
Description: Net primary production is a measure of plant productivity, the amount of plant material left over after respiration. Scientists have been working to find out "where we stand relative to our survival on the planet, and what our needs are compared to the capability of the biosphere to sustain them. In fact, it goes beyond just need; it includes our different lifestyles-our appetites." To build some answers, they set about measuring global plant productivity, calculating human consumption levels on a cultural level, and then compared the results. They found the ratio of consumption to regional net primary productivity might prove to be a useful indicator of potential trouble spots should natural disasters, economic insecurity, or other problems undermine networks or infrastructure. [Source: NASA Earth System Science Data and Services]
URL: http://nasadaacs.eos.nasa.gov/articles/2007/2007_plants.html
Availability: Full Text
Source: NASA Earth System Science Data and Services
Publish Date: 11/9/2007
Reading Level: Basic
Page Length: 2

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