| Popis: |
The geographical distribution of potential productivity and of the biological circulation in the principal vegetation types is analyzed in terms of several parameters: (1) the phytomass reserve of plant communities, (2) the annual growth of a community, (3) the chemical make-up of the nutrient elements drawn into the biological circulation, (4) the ash content in the organic matter of a year's growth, (5) the carrying capacity of biological circulation, based on the amount of chemical elements drawn into the production of a year's growth, and (6) the rate of decomposition of plant remains in the litter and the rate of release of chemical elements. These parameters are mapped and their geographical regularities are analyzed. The magnitude of a year's growth as well as the carrying capacity and intensity of biological circulation are found to increase from tundra to coniferous forest and on to broadleaf forest and steppe, reaching a high level in the humid subtropics and tropics. In desert, both ann... |
