Biomass Definition (Ecology)

Biomass, in ecological terms, is the sum total mass of living organisms such as plants, animals, in a specific unit of area or volume of habitat.

In ecological terms, biomass refers to the various types of living organisms in a particular environment or ecosystem. Plants that transform sunlight into chemical energy via photosynthesis are called producers. The living organisms that consume producers are known as primary consumers. The organisms that feed on primary consumers are called secondary consumers. All these describe the biomass productivity in an ecosystem, where each consumer eats the other consumers.

Biomass can also be known as species biomass, which is the mass of one or more species. Biomass can also be called community species, which is the mass for all species in the community. Biomass includes microorganisms, plants and animals.

At a given time, living plants and animal tissues get accumulated in a specific environment and biomass is referred to as the total accumulated material in a particular time period.

Related Article: Biomass- Types, Uses, Merits and Demerits of Biomass

Frequently Asked Questions on Biomass Definition (Ecology)

Q1

Define biomass in ecological terms.

In ecological terms, biomass refers to the sum total mass of living organisms like plants, animals, accumulated in a specific unit of area.

Q2

How do ecologists measure biomass?

By collecting the dry weight of an organism and multiplying it with the total number of organisms in a particular area, is one way to measure biomass.

Further Reading:

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