Biomass in ecosystem

Biomass is the mass of living biological material in a defined area or volume at a particular time. Ecologists use it to describe the amount of organic matter in organisms or a trophic level.

How it works

Biomass may be reported as dry mass per area, which reduces variation from water content. It differs from productivity, the rate at which new biomass is produced over time.

Example or application

A biomass pyramid compares the standing biomass of producers and consumers. In some aquatic systems, producers can have low standing biomass but reproduce quickly, supporting larger consumer biomass at a snapshot.

Scope and limits

Comparisons require the same boundaries, units, and measurement method. Biomass is not identical to energy flow, population size, or productivity.

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