Biomass: Populations & Carbon

Introduction

"Humans comprise a tiny share of life on Earth — 0.01% of the total and 2.5% of animal biomass (animal biomass is shown in the right-hand box on the visualization above).

But we are also responsible for the animals we raise. Humans alone may seem insignificant, but our hunger for raising livestock means we have played a major role in shifting the balance of animal life: livestock account for 4% of animal biomass.4

Livestock accounts for more biomass than all humans on Earth, more than 50% greater than humans.

And livestock accounts for much more than all wildlife: Wild mammals and birds collectively account for only 0.38% — livestock, therefore, outweighs wild mammals and birds by a factor of ten.5" - Our World in Data: Life on Earth 

Functions of Biomass

Carbon Sequestration

Carbon Sequestration in Soil vs Wildlife

Biodiversity

Fossil Fuels

Coal

https://ourworldindata.org/life-on-earth

What Makes Up Global Biomass?

Carbon-Based Life Forms Store Carbon

The following have been listed from largest in terms of tons of carbon stores, to smaller amounts of carbon storage. 

Scroll down further to read sections about how different branches of life interact and function as non-atmospheric carbon storage.

Carbon Mass vs Population Size

These numbers don't specifically or always correlate with population size, since some organisms are much larger or smaller than others listed groups. For example plants make up the largest amount of biomass, and include organisms from tiny specs of duckweed up to giant sequoia trees. In the case of livestock, humans, wildlife, and birds, livestock do specifically outnumber humans, wild mammals, and birds in terms of individuals. Chickens currently outnumber all wild bird populations.

Plants

Plants, mostly trees, account for more than 82% of biomass. - Our World in Data: Life on Earth 

Bacteria

Though they are too small to see with the naked eye, bacteria account for 13% of Earth's biomass.  - Our World in Data: Life on Earth 

Fungi

Archnaea

These are single-celled organisms which make up approximately 1.5% of Earth's biomass.  - Our World in Data: Life on Earth 

Animals

Fish

Animal biomass represents only 0.4% of total global biomass, and fish represent 0.7 billion tons of carbon in 29% of animal biomass. 

Anelids

Mollusks

Cnidarians

This group includes jellyfish and sea anemones.

Livestock

"Livestock now outweighs wild mammals and birds ten-fold." - Our World in Data: Life on Earth 

Livestock represent 0.1 billion tons of biomass and make up 4% of animal biomass.

Note: "Figures for livestock don't include fish catch or farming — of course, these also had significant impacts on marine life." - Our World in Data: Life on Earth 

Poultry livestock accounts for 0.2 percent of animal biomass — more than twice that of wild birds. Bar-On et al. (2018) estimate global poultry biomass to be 0.005 billion tonnes of carbon. This is approximately 0.2 percent of animal biomass (= 0.005 / 2.4 * 100). Wild birds account for only 0.08 percent of animal biomass." - Our World in Data: Life on Earth 

Humans

"Humans make up just 0.01% of life: but we've had much larger impacts on shaping the animal kingdom."  - Our World in Data: Life on Earth 

Wild Mammals

Before human intervention, wild mammals made up a much larger percentage of animal biomass and carbon storage. However, as we continue to hunt them, destroy their habitats, driving a growing number of them towards extinction, they now only make up 3% of animal biomass, representing 0.007 billion tons of biomass.

Birds

"Wild birds account for only 0.08 percent of animal biomass." - Our World in Data: Life on Earth