Secondary Production - Ecosystem

The net primary production is the only energy available to consumers or heterotrophs including man. Herbivores such as cow or deer gaze upon grass and utilise primary production. The food is processed in the stomach of animals. Digested material is assimilated in the body and the unutilised material is excreted. Some of the assimilated energy is used up in respiration to provide energy for the metabolic needs of body such as maintenance and repair of tissues. The remaining part is utilised for producing new tissues for reproduction. Production of animal biomass on account of growth as well as addition of new individuals of animals is referred to as secondary production. And secondary productivity is the rate of formation of new organic matter by heterotrophs.