Biogeochemical Metabolism of Organic Matter
379
Table 10.7. Annual values of primary photosynthesis production (Pnp), net photosynthesis production (P n), and total respiration (M,), all in g C m 2 , in coral-reef communities
Place (zone of reef)
Pnp
M,
Pn
Pnp/M, Reference
Enivetok atoll (flat)
3570 4200
0 0.9
Odum and Odum (1955)
Enivetok atoll (flat)
3600 2190
2040 1.6
Smith and Marsh (1973)
Kawaratti atoll
1910
880
1370 2.2
Quasim et at. (1972)
Rongelap atoll
1060 1090
160 1.0
Sargent and Austin
(1954)
Moorea I. barrier reef
2230 3050
-420 0.7
Sournia (1976b)
Guam I. (flat)
5860 2600
4300 2.3
Marsh (1974)
Phantom bank, Timor Sea
2490 7000 -4070 0.4
Propp et at. (1983)
EI Mario reef, Puerto Rico
3780 4100
350 0.9
Odum et at. (1959)
Long Key reef, Florida
3290 2740
1140 1.2
Odum (1956)
(thallassia beds)
Jamaica (Halimeda fields)
1240
630
830 2.0
Hillis-Colinvaux (1974)
Atoll Canton (whole system)
1860 2150
40 0.9
Smith and Jokiel (1975)
Takapoto atoll (whole system) 1240 1460
0 0.9
Sournia and Ricard
(1976a)
Lizard I. (whole system)
980 1070
80 0.9
Kinsey and Davies
(1979b)
French Frigate atoll (whole
1100 1170
130 1.0
Atkinson and Grigg
system)
(1984)
productive ecosystems of our planet (Lewis 1977b, 1981). In communities of
reef fiat, dominated by corals, seaweeds and algal turfs, it ranged between
1.5-3.0kgCm- 2 , which is equivalent to 3.5-7.0kg of dry organic matter,
or to 20-40kgm- 2 0f wet biomass (Crossland et al. 1991). At some reef
zones it reached even 4-6 kg m -2, or up to 80 kg m -2 of wet biomass year-I.
These values are three to ten times more than those in the most productive
pelagic ecosystems of quasi-permanent coastal upwelling areas, where they
range between 0.5-0.9kgCm- 2 year- l . The average annual value of
primary production for most productive communites of reef-fiat and patchreef zones could be assumed to be close to 2-3kgCm- 2 year- l , the values
of annual net photosynthetic production of communities (P n) being between
0-0.3kgCm- 2 , and the Pnp/Mt ratio close to 1 (Kinsey 1983; Tables 10.3,
10.7). The average annual values of primary production when calculated per
complete reef systems appeared to be 1.5-2 times less than the above value
because a significant part of their area belongs to the lagoonal biotopes,
where annual primary production is two to four times lower, amounting to
0.5-1 kgCm- 2 . Therefore, average values of 1.1-1.4kgCm- 2 year- 1 for
the total system could be considered reasonable (Kinsey 1985b; Table 10.7).
The most comprehensive estimations of the gross (P t), primary (P np), and
net photosynthetic production for the complete ecosystem of the French
Frigate Shoals atoll gave the values of 1.3, 1.1, and 0.13kgCm- 2 year- 1
respectively (Atkinson and Grigg 1984). However, when estimating the
most probable annual primary production of reef systems for the calculation
379
Table 10.7. Annual values of primary photosynthesis production (Pnp), net photosynthesis production (P n), and total respiration (M,), all in g C m 2 , in coral-reef communities
Place (zone of reef)
Pnp
M,
Pn
Pnp/M, Reference
Enivetok atoll (flat)
3570 4200
0 0.9
Odum and Odum (1955)
Enivetok atoll (flat)
3600 2190
2040 1.6
Smith and Marsh (1973)
Kawaratti atoll
1910
880
1370 2.2
Quasim et at. (1972)
Rongelap atoll
1060 1090
160 1.0
Sargent and Austin
(1954)
Moorea I. barrier reef
2230 3050
-420 0.7
Sournia (1976b)
Guam I. (flat)
5860 2600
4300 2.3
Marsh (1974)
Phantom bank, Timor Sea
2490 7000 -4070 0.4
Propp et at. (1983)
EI Mario reef, Puerto Rico
3780 4100
350 0.9
Odum et at. (1959)
Long Key reef, Florida
3290 2740
1140 1.2
Odum (1956)
(thallassia beds)
Jamaica (Halimeda fields)
1240
630
830 2.0
Hillis-Colinvaux (1974)
Atoll Canton (whole system)
1860 2150
40 0.9
Smith and Jokiel (1975)
Takapoto atoll (whole system) 1240 1460
0 0.9
Sournia and Ricard
(1976a)
Lizard I. (whole system)
980 1070
80 0.9
Kinsey and Davies
(1979b)
French Frigate atoll (whole
1100 1170
130 1.0
Atkinson and Grigg
system)
(1984)
productive ecosystems of our planet (Lewis 1977b, 1981). In communities of
reef fiat, dominated by corals, seaweeds and algal turfs, it ranged between
1.5-3.0kgCm- 2 , which is equivalent to 3.5-7.0kg of dry organic matter,
or to 20-40kgm- 2 0f wet biomass (Crossland et al. 1991). At some reef
zones it reached even 4-6 kg m -2, or up to 80 kg m -2 of wet biomass year-I.
These values are three to ten times more than those in the most productive
pelagic ecosystems of quasi-permanent coastal upwelling areas, where they
range between 0.5-0.9kgCm- 2 year- l . The average annual value of
primary production for most productive communites of reef-fiat and patchreef zones could be assumed to be close to 2-3kgCm- 2 year- l , the values
of annual net photosynthetic production of communities (P n) being between
0-0.3kgCm- 2 , and the Pnp/Mt ratio close to 1 (Kinsey 1983; Tables 10.3,
10.7). The average annual values of primary production when calculated per
complete reef systems appeared to be 1.5-2 times less than the above value
because a significant part of their area belongs to the lagoonal biotopes,
where annual primary production is two to four times lower, amounting to
0.5-1 kgCm- 2 . Therefore, average values of 1.1-1.4kgCm- 2 year- 1 for
the total system could be considered reasonable (Kinsey 1985b; Table 10.7).
The most comprehensive estimations of the gross (P t), primary (P np), and
net photosynthetic production for the complete ecosystem of the French
Frigate Shoals atoll gave the values of 1.3, 1.1, and 0.13kgCm- 2 year- 1
respectively (Atkinson and Grigg 1984). However, when estimating the
most probable annual primary production of reef systems for the calculation