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The term biomass refers to the total amount of living matter present at any given moment in an ecosystem. It is usually expressed as a dry weight of tissue per unit area, e.g. tonnes/hectare or kg/m2. The living organisms of a particular ecosystem - the plants, animals and soil microorganisms show a characteristic biomass or standing crop. For instance, the vegetation biomass of the tropical rain forest, dominated by a large system of trees, is very much greater than that of the temperate grasslands of North America, or of the tundra vegetation of Arctic regions which is composed of mosses, lichens, hardy grasses and low woody shrubs. Notice that biomass is present below ground (roots, animals, micro-organisms) as well as above the surface (stems, leaves, animals). In tropical and temperate forests, three-to-four times as much vegetation biomass occurs above the ground as below it. In the tundra and temperate grasslands, the above-ground/below-ground biomass ratio is different. There is between four-to-nine times respectively as much living vegetation biomass below ground (roots, horizontal stems) as above (stems, leaves).
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Biomass as the solar energy stored in chemical form in plant and animal materials is among the most precious and versatile resources on earth. It provides not only food but also energy, building materials, paper, fabrics, medicines and chemicals. Biomass has been used for energy purposes ever since man discovered fire. Today, biomass fuels can be utilised for tasks ranging from heating the house to fuelling a car and running a computer.
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Biomass is a renewable energy resource derived from the carbonaceous waste of various human and natural activities. It is derived from numerous sources, including the by-products from the timber industry, agricultural crops, raw material from the forest, major parts of household waste and wood.
Biomass does not add carbon dioxide to the atmosphere as it absorbs the same amount of carbon in growing as it releases when consumed as a fuel. Its advantage is that it can be used to generate electricity with the same equipment or power plants that are now burning fossil fuels. Biomass is an important source of energy and the most important fuel worldwide after coal, oil and natural gas.
Traditional use of biomass is more than its use in modern application. In the developed world biomass is again becoming important for applications such as combined heat and power generation. In addition, biomass energy is gaining significance as a source of clean heat for domestic heating and community heating applications. In fact in countries like Finland, USA and Sweden the per capita biomass energy used is higher than it is in India, China or in Asia.
Scientists are trying to explore the advantages of biomass energy as an alternative energy source as it is renewable and free from net CO2 (carbon dioxide) emissions, and is abundantly available on earth in the form of agricultural residue, city garbage, cattle dung, firewood, etc. Bio-energy, in the form of biogas, which is derived from biomass, is expected to become one of the key energy resources for global sustainable development.
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Biomass = living weight