Isotope analysis
Videos
Isotope analysis is the identification of isotopic signature, abundance of certain stable isotopes of chemical elements within organic and inorganic compounds. Isotopic analysis can be used to underst
Magnetic sector mass spectrometer used in isotope ratio analysis, through thermal ionization
Primary production
Videos
In ecology, primary production is the synthesis of organic compounds from atmospheric or aqueous carbon dioxide. It principally occurs through the process of photosynthesis, which uses light as its so
Isotope analysis
…reflect diet, including drinking water, and have been used to study bird migration and aquatic food webs. Carbon isotopes aid us in determining the primary production source responsible for the energy flow in an ecosystem. The transfer of 13C through trophic levels remains relatively the same, except for a small…
Global oceanic and terrestrial photoautotroph abundance, from September 1997 to August 2000. As an estimate of autotroph biomass, it is only a rough indicator of primary-production potential, and not an actual estimate of it. Provided by the SeaWiFS Project, NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center and GeoEye.
Marine diatoms; an example of planktonic microalgae
A kelp forest; an example of attached macroalgae
An oak tree; a typical modern, terrestrial autotroph