Hey there, future eco-warrior! We're about to dive into a topic that's not just important for your exams, but for the real health of our planet - secondary productivity. We're talking about energy, biomass, and how it's all interconnected in the environment. It's like an episode of Stranger Things, but instead of The Upside Down, we're navigating through ecosystems. Exciting, isn't it?

Secondary productivity is all about energy gains or biomass increases by consumers - those hungry critters like insects, mice or even us humans! Remember, we're all part of this chain.

The first concept to grasp is Gross Secondary Productivity (GSP). Think of it as the total amount of energy or biomass gained by consumers, but since these critters can't digest everything perfectly, we have to subtract the faecal loss. After a hearty meal, some energy just... passes through, literally!

But wait, there's more! GSP is made up of two components: Net Secondary Productivity (NSP) and respiration. NSP is the energy that consumers store and can use for growth or reproduction. Respiration, on the other hand, is the energy consumers use to stay alive - think about it like charging your phone, or running around the block. You need energy for those processes too!