Hello, Earthlings! Imagine if aliens came to Earth and tried to figure out which creatures are in charge. They might be surprised to find out that chickens outnumber humans two to one! Even though humans think they’re the bosses, there’s a lot more going on in the world of living things.
There are about 7.6 billion humans on Earth, but that’s nothing compared to the 19 billion chickens and the trillions of fish swimming in our oceans. Even though humans are just a small part of Earth’s total living mass, we’ve made a big impact on the planet. We’ve changed landscapes, moved mountains, and unfortunately, caused a lot of plants and animals to disappear.
Instead of counting every single animal, scientists use something called biomass to measure life. Biomass is the total mass of living things in a group, measured in gigatons of carbon. This helps compare different species, like how 3,100 mice have the same biomass as one human. Scientists have found that Earth has about 550 gigatons of living carbon.
Animals make up only a small part of Earth’s biomass. Among animals, mammals and birds are just 8.5%. Most of this is livestock, like cows and pigs. Humans are a big part of the mammal and bird group, but we’re still a small percentage of all animals. Insects and other arthropods, like spiders and crabs, are the biggest group, making up 60% of the animal kingdom.
Fungi, like mushrooms, are six times more massive than all animals combined. There’s even a giant fungus in Oregon that covers an area as big as 1,665 football fields! It’s considered the largest organism on Earth.
Despite their small size, bacteria are more massive than all animals combined. They make up a huge part of Earth’s biomass, even though they’re tiny compared to animal cells. Other microscopic organisms also outweigh birds and mammals when it comes to biomass.
Plants are the real champions of Earth’s biosphere, making up about 83% of all biomass. This might be surprising, but when you think about how heavy trees are and the fact that there are 3 trillion trees on Earth, it makes sense.
Even though most of Earth’s surface is ocean, 86% of life is found on land. It might be a blue planet, but it’s definitely a green biosphere. Surprisingly, there’s almost 12 times more life deep underground, mostly microbes, than there is in the ocean.
Humans have been around for about 6 million years, and in that time, we’ve changed a lot. From 50,000 to 3,000 years ago, half of Earth’s large mammals disappeared, partly because of us. Whaling and other activities have reduced marine life, and deforestation and hunting have drastically decreased land animals.
We’ve also added new life, with more livestock than wild animals now. To feed everyone, we’ve turned 18.9 million square miles into farmland and pastures.
Human population growth is slowing but still increasing. By 2050, there might be 9.7 billion people on Earth. If we keep adding more livestock and people, many wild animals might only exist in stories. But plants, bacteria, and chickens will likely continue to thrive. Stay curious and keep exploring the wonders of our planet!
Using the information from the article, create a pie chart that represents the different components of Earth’s biomass. Include categories like plants, fungi, bacteria, and animals. Use colored pencils or an online tool to make your chart visually appealing. This will help you understand the proportions of each group in Earth’s biomass.
In groups, choose a category from the article (e.g., plants, fungi, bacteria, animals) and create a short skit or presentation about its role in Earth’s ecosystem. Highlight interesting facts, such as the size of the giant fungus in Oregon or the number of chickens compared to humans. This activity will help you appreciate the diversity and importance of each group.
Pick one of the largest organisms mentioned in the article, like the giant fungus or the vast number of trees, and conduct a research project. Create a poster or digital presentation that includes images, interesting facts, and the organism’s impact on its environment. Share your findings with the class to learn about the scale and significance of these organisms.
Participate in a debate about the impact of human activities on Earth’s biomass. Divide into two groups: one arguing that human impact is largely negative and the other highlighting positive contributions, like agriculture. Use evidence from the article and additional research to support your arguments. This will help you critically analyze human influence on the planet.
Create an interactive map that shows where different types of biomass are most prevalent on Earth. Use online mapping tools to plot locations of major forests, oceans, and underground life. Include data points and brief descriptions for each area. This activity will enhance your understanding of how biomass is distributed across the planet.
**Sanitized Transcript:**
Greetings, home planet! Mission update: I have completed my biological analysis of this planet’s life forms. There are many creatures known as “cows” and “ants.” I’m glad our home planet doesn’t have those. WOW! So many! I have concluded that this planet is actually run by small birds called “chickens.” They outnumber the humans 2 to 1. It’s amusing how the humans think they are in charge. Actually, the humans do have a significant impact on the environment. Wish me luck. More research to come.
What would it look like if we, or aliens posing as YouTubers, took a census of all Earth’s life, put it on a scale to see what dominates, and if we’re changing it? There are a lot of humans on Earth—about 7.6 billion, in fact. But there are actually way more chickens—19 billion! And even more fish—those estimates are in the trillions. We humans actually only make up a tiny fraction of all life on Earth, by mass. That hasn’t stopped us from having a significant impact, though. We’ve altered the landscape, which is visible from space, and we’ve literally moved mountains, but there’s also an impact that’s a bit harder to see: the loss of life. Since our species spread across the globe, we’ve significantly reduced the populations of animals and plants.
Counting individual animals is challenging and would take a long time, so instead, scientists often measure something called biomass, which is basically how much living mass there is in some group of species. We measure biomass in gigatons of carbon. This is helpful when comparing species of different sizes. For example, 3,100 mice have the same biomass as one human. Scientists recently found that our planet hosts a total of 550 gigatons of living carbon.
Let’s start with animals. Of all animals, mammals and birds only make up 8.5%. Among that, 60% is livestock, mostly cattle and pigs. Humans? We’re more than a third of all birds and mammals, but we’re only a small percentage of the animal tally. Arthropods—like insects, spiders, and crustaceans—far outweigh any other animal group, making up 60% of the animal kingdom. Altogether, animals are a tiny fraction of Earth’s living mass. Mushrooms and other fungi are six times more massive than all the animals. There’s actually a colony of mycelium in Oregon that stretches 1,665 football fields in area. It’s considered the largest organism on Earth.
However, even fungi are just a tiny fraction of biomass compared to another group that’s absolutely massive despite being small. A typical bacterial cell is a tenth the size of your typical animal cell. Yet together, bacteria are significantly more massive than all animals combined. Bacteria make up most of the small world, but other groups of microscopic organisms each individually outweigh birds and mammals on the biomass scale.
But bacteria aren’t the biomass leaders. The true rulers of Earth’s biosphere? Plants. Our green friends make up about 83% of all biomass. This result surprised scientists, as we tend to think of bacteria playing the biggest role in Earth’s biosphere. But when you consider how heavy a tree is and the fact that there are 3 trillion trees on Earth, their top spot makes sense.
Most of the Earth’s surface is covered by ocean, but it turns out most life—86%—lives on land. It might be a blue planet, but it’s a green biosphere. Even more surprising, there’s almost 12 times more life deep below ground, mostly microbes, than there is in the ocean.
That tally used to look quite different. Humans and our close relatives have only been around for about 6 million years, but in that short time, we’ve managed to significantly reduce life on this planet. From 50,000 to 3,000 years ago, half of Earth’s large mammal species died out, partly due to human activity. Whaling alone decreased marine animal biomass significantly since the 1700s. Activities like deforestation, hunting, and habitat destruction have drastically reduced terrestrial animals since we appeared.
Humans have also added new life to the mix—the planet now hosts more livestock than wild animals. To feed ourselves and our animals, we’ve cultivated nearly 600,000 square miles. If you add in pastures, about 18.9 million square miles has been turned over to agriculture, with livestock occupying a large portion of that.
Human population growth is slowing, but it’s still increasing. By 2050, we’ll have around 9.7 billion people on Earth, and who knows what that additional human biomass will do to the planet. If we keep adding more livestock and people, many wild animals might only exist in stories. However, plants, bacteria, and chickens will likely still be here. Stay curious!
Biomass – The total mass of living organisms in a given area or volume. – In the forest ecosystem, the biomass of trees is much greater than that of the smaller plants.
Bacteria – Microscopic single-celled organisms that can be found in various environments, including soil, water, and inside other organisms. – Bacteria play a crucial role in decomposing organic matter and recycling nutrients in the soil.
Fungi – A group of organisms that includes yeasts, molds, and mushrooms, which obtain nutrients by breaking down organic matter. – Fungi are essential decomposers in ecosystems, helping to break down dead plants and animals.
Plants – Multicellular organisms that typically produce their own food through photosynthesis and form the base of most food chains. – Plants convert sunlight into energy, providing food and oxygen for other living organisms.
Animals – Multicellular organisms that consume organic material for energy and are typically capable of movement. – Animals play various roles in ecosystems, such as pollinators, predators, and prey.
Ecosystems – Communities of living organisms interacting with their physical environment. – The coral reef ecosystem is home to a diverse range of marine life, including fish, corals, and sea turtles.
Humans – Homo sapiens, a species of primates that have a significant impact on the environment and ecosystems. – Humans have altered many ecosystems through activities such as agriculture, urbanization, and deforestation.
Biodiversity – The variety of life in a particular habitat or ecosystem. – High biodiversity in a rainforest means there are many different species of plants, animals, and microbes living together.
Microbes – Microscopic organisms, including bacteria, viruses, and fungi, that are found in almost every environment on Earth. – Microbes in the soil help decompose organic material, enriching the soil with nutrients.
Conservation – The protection and preservation of natural resources and environments. – Conservation efforts aim to protect endangered species and maintain healthy ecosystems.
