Ecosystem respiration

Ecosystem respiration is the sum of all respiration occurring by the living organisms in a specific ecosystem.[1]

It is the operation in which the organisms within a specified ecosystem use the process of respiration to convert organic carbon to carbon dioxide. While the amount of respiration is varied upon the type of ecosystem and the community abundance, the mechanism occurs in both aquatic and terrestrial environments.

Ecosystem respiration is typically measured in the natural environment, such as a forest or grassland field, rather than in the laboratory. Ecosystem respiration is the production portion of carbon dioxide in an ecosystem's carbon flux, while photosynthesis typically accounts for the majority of the ecosystem's carbon consumption.

How ecosystem respiration works and its importance:

Ecosystem respiration happens when a cell takes glucose and oxygen and uses it to produce carbon dioxide, energy, and water. This transaction is important not only for the benefit of the cells, but for the carbon dioxide output provided, which is key in the process of photosynthesis. Without respiration, actions necessary to life, such as metabolic processes and photosynthesis, would cease.