Biomass can be measured in terms of mass of carbon or dry mass of tissue per given area; chemical energy store can be estimated using calorimetry
Biomass measures how much living material exists in an area. Scientists burn dried samples to find how much chemical energy that material contains.
Real World
Ecologists studying Amazon rainforest productivity dry plant samples in ovens at 80 °C until constant mass, then burn them in a calorimeter to measure energy content — this method showed tropical forests store roughly 180 tonnes of dry biomass per hectare.
Exam Focus
Always state why dry mass is used (removes variable water content); examiners penalise answers that omit this justification.
Evaluation Scaffold
A four-step framework for high-quality evaluation. Use this for 'assess', 'evaluate', and 'to what extent' questions.
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