Question

Which ecosystem usually has the maximum biomass?

• A. Grassland ecosystem
• B. Pond ecosystem
• C. Lake ecosystem
• D. Forest ecosystem

Answer 1

The correct option is D

Forest ecosystem

Each trophic level has a certain mass of living material at a particular time called the standing crop. The standing crop is measured as the mass of living organisms (biomass) or the number in a unit area. Dry weight is usually taken into account for biomass estimation.
The forest ecosystem has the maximum biomass because it includes a greater number of organisms of all trophic levels as compared to pond, Iake or grassland ecosystems.
Since the forest covers a large area of land it supports a large number of species of both the plants and the animals hence has higher biomass per unit area.
Grassland usually covers a smaller area of land hence supports less number of organisms and has lesser biomass per unit area than forests.
Lake ecosystem supports only aquatic plants and animals therefore has less biomass.
Ponds are even smaller water bodies than the lake and support lesser aquatic species, therefore, have lesser biomass.