Biomass
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| Renewable Energy |
|---|
| Sustainable Technology |
Biomass, in the energy production industry refers to living and recently living biological material which can be used as fuel or for industrial production. Most commonly biomass refers to plant matter grown for use as biofuel, but also includes plant or animal matter used for production of fibres, chemicals or heat. Biomass may also include biodegradable wastes that can be burnt as fuel. It excludes organic material which has been transformed by geological processes into substances such as coal or petroleum. It is usually measured by dry weight.
The term biomass is especially useful for plants, where some internal structures may not always be considered living tissue, such as the wood (secondary xylem) of a tree.
Biofuels include bioethanol, biobutanol, biodiesel & biogas.
Biomass is grown from several plants, including switchgrass, hemp, corn, poplar, willow and sugarcane[1]. The particular plant used is usually not very important to the end products, but it does affect the processing of the raw material. Production of biomass is a growing industry as interest in sustainable fuel sources is growing.[citation needed]
Though biomass is a renewable fuel, its use can still contribute to global warming. This happens when the natural carbon equilibrium is disturbed; for example by deforestation or urbanization of green sites.
Biomass is part of the carbon cycle. Carbon from the atmosphere is converted into biological matter by photosynthesis. On decay or combustion the carbon goes back into the atmosphere. This happens over a relatively short timescale and plant matter used as a fuel can be constantly replaced by planting for new growth. Therefore a reasonably stable level of atmospheric carbon results from its use as a fuel.
Although fossil fuels have their origin in ancient biomass, they are not considered biomass by the generally accepted definition because they contain carbon that has been 'out' of the carbon cycle for a very long time. Their combustion therefore disturbs the carbon dioxide content in the atmosphere.
Other uses of biomass, besides fuel:
- Building materials
- Biodegradable plastics and paper (using cellulose fibres)
Plastics from biomass, like some recently developed to dissolve in seawater, are made the same way as petroleum-based plastics, are actually cheaper to manufacture and meet or exceed most performance standards. But they lack the same water resistance or longevity as conventional plastics. [2]
Biomass production for human use and consumption.
| BIOME ECOSYSTEM TYPE | Area | Mean Net Primary Production | World Primary Production | Mean biomass | World biomass | Minimum replacement rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| (million km²) | (gram dryC/sq metre/year) | (billion tonnes/year) | (kg dryC/sq metre) | (billion tonnes) | (years) | |
| Tropical rain forest | 17.0 | 2,200 | 37.40 | 45.00 | 765.00 | 20.45 |
| Tropical monsoon forest | 7.5 | 1,600 | 12.00 | 35.00 | 262.50 | 21.88 |
| Temperate evergreen forest | 5.0 | 1,320 | 6.60 | 35.00 | 175.00 | 26.52 |
| Temperate deciduous forest | 7.0 | 1,200 | 8.40 | 30.00 | 210.00 | 25.00 |
| Boreal forest | 12.0 | 800 | 9.60 | 20.00 | 240.00 | 25.00 |
| Mediterranean open forest | 2.8 | 750 | 2.10 | 18.00 | 50.40 | 24.00 |
| Woodland and shrubland | 5.7 | 700 | 3.99 | 6.00 | 34.20 | 8.57 |
| Savanna | 15.0 | 900 | 13.50 | 4.00 | 60.00 | 4.44 |
| Temperate grassland | 9.0 | 600 | 5.40 | 1.60 | 14.40 | 2.67 |
| Tundra and alpine | 8.0 | 140 | 1.12 | 0.60 | 4.80 | 4.29 |
| Desert and semidesert scrub | 18.0 | 90 | 1.62 | 0.70 | 12.60 | 7.78 |
| Extreme desert, rock, sand or ice sheets | 24.0 | 3 | 0.07 | 0.02 | 0.48 | 6.67 |
| Cultivated land | 14.0 | 650 | 9.10 | 1.00 | 14.00 | 1.54 |
| Swamp and marsh | 2.0 | 2,000 | 4.00 | 15.00 | 30.00 | 7.50 |
| Lakes and streams | 2.0 | 250 | 0.50 | 0.02 | 0.04 | 0.08 |
| Total continental | 149.00 | 774.51 | 115.40 | 12.57 | 1,873.42 | 16.23 |
| Open ocean | 332.00 | 125.00 | 41.50 | 0.003 | 1.00 | 0.02 |
| Upwelling zones | 0.40 | 500.00 | 0.20 | 0.020 | 0.01 | 0.04 |
| Continental shelf | 26.60 | 360.00 | 9.58 | 0.010 | 0.27 | 0.03 |
| Algal beds and reefs | 0.60 | 2,500.00 | 1.50 | 2.000 | 1.20 | 0.80 |
| Estuaries & mangroves | 1.40 | 1,500.00 | 2.10 | 1.000 | 1.40 | 0.67 |
| Total marine | 361.00 | 152.01 | 54.88 | 0.01 | 3.87 | 0.07 |
| Grand total | 510.00 | 333.87 | 170.28 | 3.68 | 1,877.29 | 11.02 |
Source: Whittaker, R. H.; Likens, G. E. (1975). "The Biosphere and Man", in Leith, H. & Whittaker, R. H.: Primary Productivity of the Biosphere. Springer-Verlag, 305-328. ISBN 0-3870-7083-4. ; Ecological Studies Vol 14 (Berlin)
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Everything Biomass
- Michigan Biomass Energy Program
- BioMASS Laboratory at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- Forest Bioenergy
[edit] References
- ^ T.A. Volk, L.P. Abrahamson, E.H. White, E. Neuhauser, E. Gray, C. Demeter, C. Lindsey, J. Jarnefeld, D.J. Aneshansley, R. Pellerin and S. Edick (October 15-19, 2000). "Developing a Willow Biomass Crop Enterprise for Bioenergy and Bioproducts in the United States". Proceedings of Bioenergy 2000, Adam's Mark Hotel, Buffalo, New York, USA: North East Regional Biomass Program. OCLC 45275154. Retrieved on 2006-12-16.
- ^ Oh, Chicken Feathers! How to Reduce Plastic Waste. Yahoo News, Apr 5, 2007.
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