Editing Biomass (ecology) (section)

==Terrestrial biomass==
[[File:Terrestrial biomass.svg|thumb|upright=1.4| {{center|{{space|5}}'''Relative terrestrial biomasses'''<br />of vertebrates versus arthropods}}]]

Terrestrial biomass generally decreases markedly at each higher [[trophic level]] (plants, herbivores, carnivores). Examples of terrestrial [[Autotroph|producers]] are grasses, trees and shrubs. These have a much higher biomass than the animals that [[Heterotroph|consume them]], such as deer, zebras and insects. The level with the least biomass are the highest [[predator]]s in the [[food chain]], such as foxes and eagles.

In a temperate grassland, grasses and other plants are the primary producers at the bottom of the pyramid. Then come the primary consumers, such as grasshoppers, voles and bison, followed by the secondary consumers, shrews, hawks and small cats. Finally the tertiary consumers, large cats and wolves. The biomass pyramid decreases markedly at each higher level.

Changes in plant species in the terrestrial ecosystem can result in changes in the biomass of soil decomposer communities.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Spehn |first1=Eva M. |last2=Joshi |first2=Jasmin |last3=Schmid |first3=Bernhard |last4=Alphei |first4=Jörn |last5=Körner |first5=Christian |date=2000 |title=
Plant diversity effects on soil heterotrophic activity in experimental grassland ecosystems |url=http://link.springer.com/10.1023/A:1004891807664 |journal=Plant and Soil |volume=224 |issue=2 |pages=217–230 |doi=10.1023/A:1004891807664|s2cid=25639544 }}</ref> Biomass in [[C3 carbon fixation|C<sub>3</sub>]] and [[C4 carbon fixation|C<sub>4</sub>]] plant species can change in response to altered concentrations of CO<sub>2</sub>.<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=He |first1=Jin-Sheng |last2=Bazzaz |first2=Fakhri A. |last3=Schmid |first3=Bernhard |date=2002 |title=Interactive Effects of Diversity, Nutrients and Elevated CO2 on Experimental Plant Communities |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/3547655 |journal=Oikos |volume=97 |issue=3 |pages=337–348 |doi=10.1034/j.1600-0706.2002.970304.x |jstor=3547655 |bibcode=2002Oikos..97..337H |issn=0030-1299}}</ref> C<sub>3</sub> plant species have been observed to increase in biomass in response to increasing concentrations of CO<sub>2</sub> of up to 900 ppm.<ref>{{cite journal | last1=Drag | first1=David W | last2=Slattery | first2=Rebecca | last3=Siebers | first3=Matthew | last4=DeLucia | first4=Evan H | last5=Ort | first5=Donald R | last6=Bernacchi | first6=Carl J | title=Soybean photosynthetic and biomass responses to carbon dioxide concentrations ranging from pre-industrial to the distant future | journal=Journal of Experimental Botany | publisher=Oxford University Press (OUP) | volume=71 | issue=12 | date=2020-03-12 | issn=0022-0957 | doi=10.1093/jxb/eraa133 | pages=3690–3700| pmid=32170296 | pmc=7475242 }}</ref>