biomass: Quick Facts

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This infographic compares the relative biomass in gigatons of carbon among major kingdoms of life, showing plants with the greatest biomass, followed by bacteria, fungi, archaea, protists, animals, and viruses. A detailed breakdown highlights that among animals, arthropods and fish have the highest biomass, with much smaller contributions from annelids, mollusks, livestock, humans, wild mammals, wild birds, nematodes, and cnidarians. Simple illustrations represent each group.

Figure 1: A schematic representation of the biogeochemical cycle of carbon.

Understanding biomass in forests

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species biomass standing crop Biosphere biological productivity population biogeographic region price index trophic pyramid community mechanical advantage mechanical efficiency radiation measurement psychological testing Wetland

Chutes d'Ekom - a waterfall on the Nkam river in the rainforest near Melong, in the western highlands of Cameroon in Africa.

Ecosystems