# Biomass

Solar energy stored by plants: wood, crop residues, dung and energy crops.

Source page: https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_biomass/

Natural sources · Solar-derived flows · No. 8

- Natural sources
- Origin: Indirect solar
- Renewable: Yes, if regrown
 Natural sources · Solar-derived flows · Foundation · Energy

Land plants capture almost four times humanity's yearly energy use, but most already goes to food, feed and timber.

Chart: Illustration: Biomass

##### Where it comes from

Chart: Map of where it comes from

Photosynthesis stores sunlight in plant matter; land plants fix around 2,200 EJ a year, and people burn, digest or ferment some for about 56 EJ of energy.

##### Three things to know

1. Traditional burning of wood, charcoal, dung and crop waste makes up more than half of all bioenergy use.
2. Tropical rainforests and savannas account for over 60% of plant growth on land; deserts and tundra under 3%.
3. Global land growth in July-September is about 60% higher than in January-March, because most land is northern.

##### The journey

1. 1 **Sunlight**Falls on leaves across the land
2. 2 **Photosynthesis**CO2 and water become plant matter
3. 3 **Biomass**Wood, crop residues, dung and energy crops
4. 4 **Conversion**Burned, digested, fermented or gasified
5. 5 **Uses**Cooking, heating, electricity and liquid fuels

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## Other sections

- [Overview](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_biomass/overview/index.md)
- [Correlation](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_biomass/correlation/index.md)
- [How energy resides](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_biomass/resides/index.md)
- [Abundance](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_biomass/abundance/index.md)
- [Fluctuation in time](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_biomass/time/index.md)
- [Across the Earth](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_biomass/geography/index.md)
- [Impact on nature](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_biomass/nature/index.md)
- [Relationships](https://www.materialinsights.org/energy/e_biomass/links/index.md)