How is Net Primary Production calculated?

Net Primary Production (NPP) is calculated by taking Gross Primary Production (GPP) and subtracting the amount of energy used by plants during respiration. GPP represents the total amount of organic matter or energy produced by photosynthetic organisms in an ecosystem. However, plants utilize a portion of this energy for their own metabolic processes, which is accounted for as respiratory losses. By subtracting these respiratory losses from GPP, we obtain NPP, which provides a measure of the net amount of energy available for growth and reproduction of the primary producers, as well as energy that can be transferred to higher trophic levels in the ecosystem. This calculation is crucial for understanding energy flow and productivity within ecological systems.