APPENDIX B 

 PRELIMINARY PRIMARY PRODUCTIVITY CALCULATIONS 



Carbon input calculations here are intended as an example of information required to quantify the 

 conceptual Bay model. Results are not considered to be realistic. 



Annual marsh carbon production 



300,000A(4000m 2 /A) (337.5g/m 2 /yr)=4Xl0 n g/yr=400,000 ton/yr 



Marsh area and productivity from discussion with R. Wetzel. 



Seagrass annual production 



21,000A(4,000m 2 /A) (l,750g/m 2 /yr)=1.47Xl0 u g/yr=147,000 ton/yr 



Productivity estimate from Mann (1973) for Nova Scotia. Acreage estimate, roughly 7,000 acres for 

 the western shore at present (R. Orth, reluctant estimate), and assuming 14,000 acres for eastern 

 shore. 



Phytoplankton annual production 



Estimated in situ carbon production for the Maryland portion of the Bay, 282,000 ton/yr (Biggs 

 and Flcmcr 1972). Assuming the same rate and similar area for the Virginia portion, total phyto- 

 plankton carbon production is roughly 600,000 ton/yr. 



River input of carbon 



POC (particulate organic carbon) input from the Susquehanna River, which is 85 percent of river 

 How into the Bay, is 84,000 ton/yr (Biggs and Flemer 1972). Assuming the same input rate for other 

 rivers, total river carbon input is 100,000 ton/yr. 



Summary 



Carbon sources for the Bay system, and annual totals over the whole Bay: 



Phytoplankton 600,000 ton/yr. 



Marshes 400,000 ton/yr. 



Scagrasses 147,000 ton/yr. 



River input 100,000 ton/yr. 



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