Phytoplankton Phytoplankton
Study guide for Phytoplankton (UPSC Civil Services Prelims & Mains). Access key concepts, syllabus details, prep checklist, and interactive practice questions. Phytoplankton पर UPSC सिविल सेवा परीक्षा अध्ययन गाइड।
Phytoplankton: Oceanic Primary Productivity & Carbon Pumpsपादप प्लवक (Phytoplankton): समुद्री प्राथमिक उत्पादकता एवं कार्बन सिंक
Microscopic photosynthetic organisms drifting in aquatic photic zones, generating roughly 50% of the Earth's oxygen and serving as the foundational base of aquatic trophic pyramids.
Core Concepts & Provisionsमुख्य अवधारणाएँ एवं संवैधानिक प्रावधान
Conceptual Foundations & Ecosystem Principlesमूल अवधारणाएं एवं पारिस्थितिक सिद्धांत
Microscopic photosynthetic organisms drifting in aquatic photic zones, generating roughly 50% of the Earth's oxygen and serving as the foundational base of aquatic trophic pyramids.
Salient Provisions, Adaptations & Mechanismsप्रमुख प्रावधान, अनुकूलन एवं कार्यप्रणाली
• Major groups: Diatoms (silica shells/frustules), Dinoflagellates (flagellated, cause harmful algal blooms / red tides), Coccolithophores (calcium carbonate plates), and Cyanobacteria (Prochlorococcus, the most abundant photosynthetic organism on Earth).
• Biological Carbon Pump: Photosynthetically fixed CO2 is transferred into deep ocean sediments when phytoplankton die and sink.
• Algal Blooms & Eutrophication: Excess agricultural runoff (Nitrogen, Phosphorus) causes rapid algal proliferation, resulting in hypoxic dead zones upon decomposition.