The global distribution of net primary production: resolving the paradox

Abstract

The distribution of the diversity and abundance of life on Earth is thought to be shaped by the patterns of plant growth (net primary production, NPP) in the oceans and on land. The well‐known latitudinal gradient of species diversity reaches its maximum in tropical rain forests, which are considered to be the most productive ecosystems on the planet. However, this high tropical productivity on land is the opposite of the well‐documented distribution of marine productivity, which is greatest in the high‐latitude oceans around the poles. This paradox can be resolved by a reevaluation of the terrestrial productivity gradient. Compilations of direct measurements of forest NPP show that annual NPP in tropical forests is no different than annual NPP in temperate forests, contrary to recent syntheses and to the output of global vegetation models. Other properties of forest ecosystems, such as basal area of trees, wood density, and the ratio of wood to leaf production, as well as animal properties such as body size, population density, and reproductive rates, support the conclusion that ecologically relevant terrestrial productivity is actually highest in the temperate latitudes, reaching a maximum between 30° and 50° before declining toward the poles. This “reversal” of the latitudinal productivity gradient, if substantiated by a systematic global sampling effort, will necessitate a major reevaluation of ecological and evolutionary theory, as well as conservation strategies and international development policies.