biomass

IPA: bˈaɪʌmæs

(biology)
The total mass of a living thing or a part thereof (such as a cell).
The total mass of all, or a specified category of, living things within a specific area, habitat, etc.
Organic matter from living things which were recently alive (especially vegetation) used as a fuel or source of energy, especially if cultivated for that purpose; also, fuel produced from such organic matter; biofuel.

Examples of "biomass" in Sentences

The current spawning stock biomass is 120 million pounds, or 61 million fish.
More autotroph biomass is just going to provide more organic material for heterotrophs.
BASF When biomass is used in making plastic, it replaces petroleum products as an ingredient, reducing demand for carbon-laden fossil fuels.
Peter + Maria Hoey When biomass is used in making plastic, it replaces petroleum products as an ingredient, thus reducing demand for carbon-laden fossil fuels.
I recall seeing some study last year from the Smoky Mountains research site that found only a 20% increase in biomass of the trees that they studied, which was about half of what they had predicted in the model.
The term biomass is most often encountered in discussions of sources of energy, as biomass can be used to supply energy needs directly (as fuel wood, for example) or indirectly (by being converted to alcohol; see gasohol).