Biological productivity refers to the rate at which living organisms convert inorganic or organic substrates into new biomass within an ecosystem, typically quantified as primary or secondary productivity. Primary productivity is driven mainly by photosynthetic or chemosynthetic autotrophs that fix carbon, often expressed as mass of carbon per unit area and time (e.g., g C m⁻² yr⁻¹), and is constrained by factors such as light, nutrient availability, temperature, and hydrodynamics. Secondary productivity denotes biomass production by heterotrophs consuming primary producers or other consumers. Biological productivity underpins trophic dynamics, biogeochemical cycling, and energy flow in terrestrial and aquatic systems.
Transitioning an aging perennial forage seed stand into annual cropping can be difficult, particularly when the original crop persists or weeds establish after termination. Preliminary Canadian research suggests cover crops ...
Agriculture
Aug 31, 2026
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The question is no longer whether microbial foods can be made. The question now is who can be first to turn them into an industry. KAIST researchers have analyzed the conditions required for the microbial food industry to ...
Biotechnology
Aug 31, 2026
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All the forests in the world pale in comparison to the ocean when it comes to absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The ocean is the world's largest natural carbon sink, absorbing about a quarter of all CO2 emissions ...
Environment
Aug 26, 2026
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Rising atmospheric carbon dioxide is boosting grass growth in Africa's water-limited savannas, according to a new study led by the University of Sheffield.
Environment
Aug 20, 2026
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What if the secret to drought-resistant crops isn't how much water plants use, but when they use it? A new study identifies a daily window that could help breeders develop tomatoes that better withstand drought without sacrificing ...
Plants & Animals
Aug 18, 2026
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When a dairy cow miscarries, a farmer loses far more than an unborn calf. Feed has been grown, land and water have been used, and greenhouse gases have been released during the cow's pregnancy, but milk production, a future ...
Ecology
Aug 15, 2026
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How many sharks should a coral reef have? It sounds like a simple question, but almost nowhere on Earth is there a reef that has not at some time been fished or otherwise affected by humans, so there is no yardstick against ...
Ecology
Aug 13, 2026
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YCNCC Science Communications Fellow Samantha Tracy recently sat down with Wong to discuss the influence of soil fertility on tropical forests and their responses to global change. The study is published in the journal New ...
Ecology
Aug 4, 2026
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In a new study by the Center for Advanced Bioenergy and Bioproducts Innovation (CABBI), researchers evaluated oil sorghum lines in Nebraska and Illinois over two years to quantify genotype-by-environment effects on agronomic ...
Biotechnology
Aug 4, 2026
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In cases of extreme drought, soil organic carbon does not improve crop yields, Colorado State University research has found. The finding contradicts the commonly held belief that soil organic carbon benefits yields most during ...
Ecology
Jul 23, 2026
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