Home / glossary / Gross Primary Production (GPP)

Represents the generation of new biomass by Autotrophs (e.g. algae, Cyanobacteria, vascular plants) via photosynthesis—the process by which solar energy, water, and carbon dioxide are transformed into reduced carbon compounds that sustain life and form the basis of Food webs. GPP is usually expressed as the rate of carbon generation and, in aquatic ecosystems, can be estimated from changes in dissolved oxygen concentration.