AP®︎ Environmental Science: Topic 1.8 Practice Test
Prepare for your quiz, test, or the AP exam with focused practice questions on Topic 1.8 of AP Environmental Science – Primary Productivity.
Questions List
Topic 1.8
Question 1 Easy
This question tests the following: ENG-1.A.1
What does primary productivity refer to in an ecosystem?
What You’re Being Tested On:
Explore the learning objectives taken directly from the College Board’s AP® Environmental Science Curriculum. Ensure you’re prepared for the exact topics covered on the AP® exam, in-class tests, and quizzes, and gain confidence in your mastery of the material.
Topic 1.8: Primary Productivity
Learning Objective: ENG-1.A
Explain how solar energy is acquired and transferred by living organisms.
Essential Knowledge: ENG-1.A.1
Primary productivity is the rate at which solar energy (sunlight) is converted into organic compounds via photosynthesis over a unit of time.
Essential Knowledge: ENG-1.A.2
Gross primary productivity is the total rate of photosynthesis in a given area.
Essential Knowledge: ENG-1.A.3
Net primary productivity is the rate of energy storage by photosynthesizers in a given area, after subtracting the energy lost to respiration.
Essential Knowledge: ENG-1.A.4
Productivity is measured in units of energy per unit area per unit time (e.g., kcal/m²/yr).
Essential Knowledge: ENG-1.A.5
Most red light is absorbed in the upper 1 m of water, and blue light only penetrates deeper than 100 m in the clearest water. This affects photosynthesis in aquatic ecosystems, whose photosynthesizers have adapted mechanisms to address the lack of visible light.
