Gross Ecosystem Production literature Review Essay

Gross Ecosystem Production literature Review - Essay Example How these components are timed and their amplitude determines the whole seasonal pattern of the carbon flux. The amount of organic matter involved in these processes varies from one ecosystem to another (Caffrey, 2003). The balance between the respiration and assimilation processes may be subjectively affected by changes in the local climate (Houghton et al., 1996). This means that changes in the systematic length of growth season are indicative of an extension in the time favoring carbon assimilation. On the other hand, the impact of climate on the process of respiration is very complicated. For instance, soil respiration is strongly related with soil temperature in most ecosystems. However, in other ecosystems, activity of the microbes depends on the soil moisture. The carbon budget of an ecosystem has been measured by a number of parameters. Some of the commonly used measurements include; Net Primary Production, Net Ecosystem Exchange, Net Ecosystem Production, Gross Primary Production and Net Ecosystem Metabolism among others (Kirschbaum, Eamus, Gifford, Roxburgh, & Sands, 2001; Lovett, Cole, & Pace, 2006; Mizoguchiet al., 2012). Gross ecosystem production refers to the measure of carbon accumulated in an ecosystem. The process responsible for the accumulation of carbon is photosynthesis (Kirschbaum et al., 2001). A number of ecosystems have been studied. The ecosystems include arid and semi-arid ecosystems (Smart, Stark, & Diego, 1999), wetlands (Stellner, Czerny, Dus, & Kve, 2012), sagebrush-steppe, shrubs, and rainforests (Barkmann et al., 2007). Other ecosystems studied are grassland, coastal lagoons (Camacho-Ibar, Carriquiry, & Smith, 2003), artificial reservoirs (Piet & Vijverberg, 1998) and ponds (Rubbo, Cole, &Kiesecker, 2006). However, the most vulnerable ecosystem is the Arctic. It is highly susceptible to climate change, and the effects of global warming. It is showed that these seasonal and climatic changes