Biomass from terrestrial environments

A terrestrial ecosystem depends exclusively on energy from the sun, which supports the growth and metabolism of the residing organisms. Producers or plants are the biomass factories absorbing sunlight, maintaining the trophical levels, and are higher up the food chain with the structural building blocks and energy of life. These autotrophs or producers are the primary producers of the terrestrial biomass constituents, producing a variety of organic molecules such as carbohydrates and lipids, through the process of photosynthesis from CO2, carbon, and mineral nutrients as raw materials. The primary production in an ecosystem is the production of chemical energy by the primary producers. The primary producers are consumed by the heterotrophic organisms, and heterotrophs are the food resources for primary, secondary, and tertiary consumers. In some food chains there is involvement of quaternary consumers too. All these organisms can transfer energy through the food web. Secondary production or the heterotrophic biomass production is also considered part of a small energy flow in the ecosystem. This chapter explains the terrestrial biomass, living organisms producing biomass, the role of a major trophic level of species, and their functions. Also, the net production of energy and the transfer/flow of energy through the trophic levels of ecosystems are discussed in detail. As well as biomass production at various trophic levels, its effect on climate change and the type and role of decomposers in biomass management is summarized.