Forestry and agricultural residues and crops (such as willow) which are used as a fuel to produce electricity and heat.
The sum total of biological material that exists on a given land area. For trees and plants, this can include leaves, branches, stems, and roots.
The amount of living matter in a given ecosystem. Because only 10 percent of energy is transferred between trophic levels, the biomass of lower trophic levels is greater than the biomass of subsequent trophic levels: biomass of producers biomass of primary consumers biomass of secondary consumers biomass of tertiary consumers.
Plant material, vegetation, tallow and other animal fats, or other agricultural and forest wastes used as fuel or energy sources. Biomass also includes municipal solid and industrial wastes and crops grown solely for energy purposes.
Organic nonfossil material of biological origin. For example, trees and plants are biomass.
total weight of a given population or species in the environment.
The mass of material produced by living micoorganisms, plants, or animals.
Total weight of all organisms in a sample after drying.
Energy resources derived from organic matter. These include wood, agricultural waste and other living-cell material that can be burned to produce heat energy. They also include algae, sewage and other organic substances that may be used to make energy through chemical processes.
Organic (carbon-based) tissue in living or dead form. For example, the biomass of trees in a forest, the biomass of fishes in a volume, the biomass converted to waste, or the biomass of microorganisms in a soil sample describe the overall content of matter in various components of an ecosystem.
Strictly, the quantity of biological matter present on a unit area; may be 'total' or often only 'above-ground'. May be separated into plant and animal mass, or further divided into the mass of standing crop, or the tree portion of a stand, and then into foliage, branch, stem, flowers, and so on.
(Biomasse) Total mass of living matter, expressed in weight per surface unit or volume, present at a trophic level in the ecosystem or corresponding to that of the population of a given species in a community.(Translated from Ramade, F. Dictionnaire encyclopédique de l'écologie et des sciences de l'environnement. Édiscience international, Paris, 1993.)
the total dry weight of organic matter present at a particular trophic level in a food chain
Densification technologies and use of biomass for direct power generation including biogas, gas obtained from sugar cane and other plant residues, anaerobic digesters.
Biologically produced organic matter.
Organic matter produced by plants and other photosynthetic producers; total dry weight of all living organisms that can be supported at each trophic level in a food chain or web; dry weight of all organic matter in plants and animals in an ecosystem; plant materials and animal wastes used as fuel.
The total mass or weight of all the living organisms in a given population or area.
The total living mass in a defined segment of an ecosystem expressed as the living weight per unit area or mass. Soil microbial biomass is often used as an indication of potential microbial activity level in soil.
The total amount of living or formerly living matter in a given area, measured as dry weight.
The mass of living matter in an area (for example, grams of leaves and stems per cubic meter)
As measured by ecologists, the mass of all organic matter in the ecosystem.
The generic term for any living matter that can be converted into usable energy through biological or chemical processes. It encompasses feedstocks such as agricultural crops and their residues, animal wastes, wood, wood residues and grasses, and municipal wastes.
technically, the total dry organic matter or stored energy content of living organisms in a given area. Biomass refers to forms of living matter (e.g., grasses, trees) or their derivatives (e.g., ethanol, timber, charcoal) that can be used as fuels.
The total mass of living matter within a given unit of environmental area.
Biomass is any organic matter that is available on a renewable or recurring basis, including trees, plants and associated residues; plant fiber; poultry litter and other animal wastes; industrial waste; and the paper component of municipal waste.
The total weight of all living organisms in a biological community.
The total mass (usually measured as dry weight) of all the living organisms in a given area, population, habitat, or trophic level, often expressed as kg/ha or tonnes per ha. For NVIS, this refers to plant material. Meagher, 1991
the total dry weight of food at each level of the food pyramid.
Living and dead matter produced, including plants and animals.
plant and animal matter used to provide fuel or energy
the amount of living matter in a given area, often refers to vegetation
Any organic material, such as wood, plants, and organic wastes, that can be turned into fuel.
The quantity of living organisms in a particular area.
n. (Gr. bios, life; massein, to squeeze) weight of all living material in a unit area at an instantaneous time. May be expressed as g/m2, mt/ha, or other similar expressions.
The total weight of all the living organisms, or some designated group of living organisms, in a given area.
fuel produced from living organisms, e.g. plant matter or methane
mass of living matter, both vegetable (over 99%) and animal, present on the Earth's surface
The weight of certain living material found in a particular area.
living matter. Biomass (plants, trees, peat, organic waste) supplies 15% of the energy consumed in the world.
The quantity of living matter, expressed as a concentration or weight per unit area.
the number of organisms in an area or volume multiplied by the average weight of the individuals
energy supply from wood, plant, and animal wastes.
Total woody material in a forest. Refers to both merchantable material and material left following a conventional logging operation. In the broad sense, all of the organic material on a given area; in the narrow sense, burnable vegetation to be used for fuel in a combustion system
The total mass of plants and animals; in energy studies, usually means plant material used as a source of fuel. A to F | G to L | M to R | S to Z
The organic matter (cellulose and lignin) produced by plants. The term forest biomass generally refers to all of the material contained in the trees of a forest, including all their components (roots, branches, leaves, etc.).
The total mass of matter such as plant material, vegetation, or agricultural waste.
total amount of living organic material in an ecosystem.
The total mass of living material found in an environment, or in a unit of environmental area.
biomass energy is derived from plants. Alcohol fuels are produced from wood, sugarcane and corn. Firewood, crop residue and cattle dung can also be burned as biomass fuel. As long as the amount of plants regrown equals the amount of fuel burned there will be no additional carbon dioxide produced to contribute toward global warming.
Farmers have already begun to harness the sun to make the same kinds of energy we get today from fossil fuels. They grow energy crops to make biodiesel and alcohol fuels. Soon energy crops will also produce electricity and chemicals for products such as plastics. Energy crops include corn, oil-seeds, fast-growing trees and grasses.
The total amount of living material, plants and animals, above and below the soil surface in a biotic community.
a sludge of membranes from usually mono-cellular organisms that have a tendency to accumulate metals that they are exposed to in their outer cell wall
Energy produced from naturally replenishable resources such as plant matter, agricultural and forestry waste and landfill gas.
organic material such as wood, grain, etc. that is a source of renewable energy.
The total mass of all living organisms or of a particular set of organisms in an ecosystem or at a specific level in a food chain; usually expressed as a dry weight or as the carbon, nitrogen, or caloric content per unit area. ()
The total mass of biological (living) material.
is an energy resource derived from organic matter such as wood, agribultural waste, or other living cell material.
The quantity of a living community or population, such as the phytoplankton; for example, phytoplankton biomass is often measured as chlorophyll concentration
Total mass of organisms of a given type and / or in a given area. eg a biomass of trees
Total weight of the organisms constituting a given trophic level or population, or inhabiting a defined area.
Any quantitative estimate of the total mass of organisms comprising all or part of a population or any other specified unit, or within a given area at a given time; measured as volume, mass (live, dead, dry or ash-free weight) or energy (joules, calories).
The total weight of a plant material produced.
the dry weight of living matter, including stored food, present in a species population and expressed in terms of a given area or volume of the habitat.
the total amount of living material in a system
"Open-Loop Biomass" is defined as any solid, non-hazardous, cellulosic waste material which is segregated from other waste materials and which is derived from: (a) Such forest-related resources as mill residues, pre-commercial thinnings, slash, and brush; (b) solid wood waste materials, including waste pallets, crates, manufacturing and construction wood wastes (other than pressure-treated, chemically-treated, or painted wood wastes), and landscape or right-of-way tree trimmings, but not including municipal solid waste (garbage), gas derived from the biodegradation of solid waste, or paper that is commonly recycled; or (c) agricultural sources, including orchard tree crops, vineyard, grain, legumes, sugar, and other crop by-products or residues. "Closed-Loop Biomass" is defined as any organic material from a plant, which is planted exclusively for purposes of being used to produce electricity.
The total quantity of living organisms of one or more species per unit of space at a given time or of all the species in a community.
organic matter, such as wood, that is living or was recently alive
A mass or clump of living organisms feeding on the wastes in wastewater, dead organisms and other debris. This mass may be formed for, or function as, the protection against predators and storage of food supplies.
In the energy context, any recent organic matter originally derived from plants as a result of the photosynthetic conversion process.
The total quantity or mass of living material within a specified area at a given time.
the total amount of living material within a given area. Compare to biodiversity. The biomass of a single whale can equal the biomass of many thousands of its planktonic prey belonging to numerous species.
Material that is formed from living organisms, such as wood or agricultural wastes. Biomass can be burned to produce energy.
in this report, organic matter used as an energy source, often as an alternative to burning fossil fuels
Organic matter that can be converted into electricity in a biomass-to-energy plant. Click here for more information on biomass energy.
The total organic matter present (Gr. bios life).
the weight of all organic matter in the ecosystem
Total mass of microorganisms present in a given amount of water or soil.
Biomass, also known as biofuels or bioenergy, is obtained from organic matter either directly from plants or indirectly from industrial, commercial, domestic or agricultural products. The use of biomass is classed as a 'carbon neutral' process because the carbon dioxide released during the generation of energy from biomass is balanced by that absorbed by plants during their growth.
The total weight of all the biological material or the combined mass of all the animals and plants inhabiting a defined area; usually expressed as dry weight per area (grams per square metre, kilograms per hectare). Biomass should not be confused with productivity, the actual rate at which organic matter is created. For example, a redwood forest has a high biomass and low productivity, while phytoplankton have a low biomass (because they are continually consumed by predators) but high productivity.
the total weight of living organisms or total weight of a resource or stock.
fuels which have been produced from organic matter such as agricultural or forest waste. Biomass is also used to describe energy produced from waste containing a larger proportion than usual of organic matter.
Any organic matter, particularly available on a renewable or recurring basis such as trees and plants (residues and fibers containing cellulose or lingo-cellulose), but also poultry litter and animal residues and waste, and industrial and municipal solid waste (for example, sawdust, wood chips, paper, grass and leaf compost).
A renewable form of energy that is derived from burning plant material that can be “renewed” by planting and growing again each year.
bi-O-mass Any fuel that comes from plants, animals, or their wastes (e.g. wood, methane from rotting plants, etc.)
the amount of plant matter growing on a given area of land; usually expressed in kilograms per hectare.
the mass of plants and animals, both live and dead unless otherwise specified, usually measured per unit area.
the weight (mass) of living things in an area
Biomass falls into three main groups: * Dependent resources: These are the co-products and waste generated from agricultural, industrial and commercial processes. This includes forest products, waste wood, straw, slurry, chicken litter and industrial and municipal wastes (such as food processing wastes). For example, for every tonne of wheat harvested, a certain amount of ‘waste' straw is created, or for every tree felled to make furniture, a certain percentage cannot be used. These co-products can be used as biomass fuels, for example, in combustion. * Dedicated energy crops: These are short-rotation crops, such as coppice, miscanthus, willow and poplar, which are grown specifically to generate biomass fuel. * Multi-functional crops: These are crops that can be used to create different types of energy. For example, the ears of wheat can be used to create fuel (including bioethanol and biodiesel), while straw can be used to generate electricity.
Amount of plant or animal matter, the total of which indicates the degree of a lake's eutrophication or productivity.
the weight of all organic matter in an ecosystem
The total weight of living matter, whether in an entire community, at a particular trophic level, or of a particular kind of organism in the community. Thus we may refer to the biomass of a pond community, of herbivores in the pond, or of copepods in the pond.
the lowest value forest product. Usually consists of stems, branches, bark, etc., that cannot be marketed in any other way. Chipped and used as fuel.
The sum of weights of individuals in a fish stock.
The total amount of living material, plants and animals, above and below ground in a particular area.
the total weight of living organisations in a particular area, such as all the algae in a pond.
Living materials (wood, vegetation, etc.) grown or produced expressly for use as fuel.
The total dry organic matter or stored energy content of living organisms that is present at a specific time in a defined unit (community, ecosystem, crop, etc.) of the Earth's surface. Source: EPO.
Amount of living matter, expressed in weight units, per unit of water surface or volume. See Standing crop.
Any organic material (especially trees and other vegetation) grown or produced for use as a renewable energy resource. Also called stored solar energy, wood burning, agricultural wastes and/or methane gases spin turbines that then generate electricity.
The weight of organic material in a living thing. In a food pyramid for an ecosystem, this is the total mass of living material in all the plants or animals at each feeding level.
A fuel produced by living organisms, for example, wood and timber waste. Cf. fossil fuels.
The mass of living matter per unit of habitat (e.g., volume of water or area of bottom). Synonyms: standing crop, standing stock.
Plant matter such as trees, grasses, agricultural crops or other biological material.
the dry weight of all organic matter in a given ecosystem. It also refers to plant material that can be burned as fuel. (2)
Solar energy that is stored in green plants and other organic matter. Wood and forest residues, animal manure and waste, grains, crops and aquatic plants are some common living materials grown or produced expressly for use as biomass fuels. Biomass facilities burn wood, agricultural wastes and/or methane gases from landfills to spin a turbine that then generates electricity.
Organic substances such as plants, timber, summer pruning, etc.
Weight of living tissue, either per plant or per area. Biomass is the best single measure of a species's structural importance.
total amount or mass of living organisms in a given area.
The total amount of living plants and animals above and/or below ground in an area at a given time.
A type of renewable fuels that includes trees and other crops and residues, solid waste, sewage, and liquid fuels derived from agricultural products. Some of the common energy sources derived from biomass are landfill gas, anaerobic digester gas, methane, and biofuels including biodiesel, bio-oil, and ethanol. Biomass gasification is an emerging clean energy technology. See the Bioenergy section of the MTC website for more details.
The total mass of all living organisms within a biological community.
The total weight of living tissue in a community.
As defined by the Energy Security Act (PL 96-294) of 1980, "any organic matter which is available on a renewable basis, including agricultural crops and agricultural wastes and residues, wood and wood wastes and residues, animal wastes, municipal wastes, and aquatic plants."
This is the total weight of a number of organisms or population of a species. It is possible for a fish population to have a high biomass and be overfished.
The mass of biological material (e.g. microbial cells or plants), commonly used to refer to agricultural feedstocks. In microbiology, refers to mass of microbial cells in growth studies.
the total mass of living and dead material in an area.
any material, excluding fossil fuels, that was or is a living organism and can potentially be used as fuel.
The use of plants to fuel power stations - a major technology for renewable energy. This is energy provided from sources such as sun, wind and water.
total weight of a stock or of a component of a stock; for example, the spawning biomass is the combined weight of mature animals.
A vast amount of waste product; the totality of biological matter in a given area.
Plant materials and animal waste used as a source of fuel.
Controlled burning of specified organic materials, such as wood waste, agricultural crop residues, leaves, grass clippings, and prunings to produce electricity or heat. Public Resources Code section 40106 defines biomass conversion. Public Resources Code section 41783.1 describes how it may be used to increase diversion.
the total quantity of living matter in a particular habitat; plant and organic waste materials used as fuel and feedstock in place of fossil fuels
1. The cell mass produced by a population of living organisms. 2. The organic mass that can be used either as a source of energy or for its chemical components. 3. All the organic matter that derives from the photosynthetic conversion of solar energy.
the quantity of organic matter within an ecosystem (usually expressed as dry weight for unit area or volume)
The amount of living matter in a specified habitat.
Weight of living matter. [Gk. bios, life - Lat. massa. a lump.
Organic carbon-containing material of biological origin, including living and dead animals and plants.
The estimated combined weight of a fish stock (spawning biomass = weight of all mature animals).
The total quantity, at a given time, of living organisms of one or more species per unit area or of all the species in a community.
Organic materials containing stored chemical energy. Includes forest residues, agricultural crops and wastes, wood and wood wastes, livestock wastes, animal wastes, fast-growing trees and plants, and municipal and industrial wastes.
The totality of biological matter in a given area. Commonly used in biotechnology, biomass refers to agricultural and other wastes which are used as a renewable resource for the production of a variety of products and chemicals that are bioderived.
The total weight of a group (or stock) of fish.
An energy resource derived from organic matter such as wood, agricultural waste and other living cell material.
Fouling, deposits and resultant byproducts formed by micro organisms such as Sulphate Reducing Bacteria in the oil field.
The mass of living matter within a defined area or habitat.
Any plant-derived organic matter.
The amount of living material in unit area or volume, usually expressed as mass or weight.
is the total dry weight of living material in a particular area.
Any organic matter available on a renewable basis, including agricultural crops and residues, forestry products and wastes, and segregated organic municipal wastes.
The total amount of living organic material in a given ecosystem; the standing crop.
is defined as plant materials, animal waste or any product made of either of these. This includes (but is not necessarily limited to) wood and wood products; charcoal and agricultural residues and wastes (including organic material above and below ground, both living and dead, such as trees, crops, grasses, tree litter, roots, etc.); municipal and industrial wastes (where the organic material is biological in origin); landfill gas; bio-alcohols; black liquor; sludge gas; and animal- or plant-derived oils.
Biomass is the amount of living matter expressed in terms of weight per unit area or unit volume of water (e.g. glm). It is the total mass of life in an Ecosystem at any time: it is both the result of Productivity and an indicator, in terms of mass per unit area, of the productivity of the ecosystem. See Bioactivity.
weight of living material, usually expressed as dry weight per unit area.
Renewable organic matter such as agricultural crops, crop-waste residues, wood, animal and municipal waste, aquatic plants; and fungal growth, etc., used for the production of energy. More information about renewable energy sources.
The total weight of a stock or population of organisms at a given point in time.
the aggregate amount of living matter or a specific species within a specific habitat. The total number of a specific species in a specific habitat; expressed in units of pounds per acre.
The amount of living matter present in a particular habitat, usually expressed as dry weight per unit area or volume or as weight per unit volume.
The amount of living matter in a given unit of the environment. A variety of organic fuel sources that can either be processed into synthetic fuels or burned directly to produce steam or electricity.
The total amount of living organisms in a given area.
Organic matter available on a renewable basis. Biomass includes forest and mill residues, agricultural crops and wastes, wood and wood wastes, animal wastes, livestock operation residues, aquatic plants, fast-growing trees and plants, and municipal and industrial wastes.
The dry weight of all organic material, living or dead, above or below the soil surface. Biomasse
Organic materials such as plants and animal waste that can be used as a fuel.
Organic nonfossil material of biological origin which may be used as a renewable energy source (Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration)
The total mass of all living matter in an area. Forest Management
The total weight of living material, of all forms
total number of organism in a particular system.
The total weight or volume of a species in a given area.
Energy sources from recent–term organic (plant and animal) matter. Examples are fuelwood, waste wood, garbage and crop waste. Biomass–derived fuels result from the processing of biomass energy sources. Examples are wood byproducts (wood chips and dewatered wood liquors), pellets, briquettes, refuse–derived fuel (made from garbage), ethanol (made from crops, such as corn) and methanol (made from wood).
Organic materials, for example wood and agricultural wastes, that can be burned to produce energy or converted into a gas and used for fuel
the total mass or amount of living organisms in a particular area or volume
The accumulative mass of all living things in a given environment.
Biomass is organic non-fossil material - i.e., masses of biological organisms, dead or alive, but not coal or oil, which is fossilized organic material.
the total amount of living matter within a given unit or area. Syn: live matter
Living matter within an environmental area, for example plant material, vegetation, or agricultural waste used as a fuel or energy source.
the dry weight of organic matter composing one or a group of organisms in a particular habitat.
The total sum of plants and animals in a given area at a given time, expressed as weight of organism per unit area or as the volume per unit volume.
Total mass of microorganisms and roots alive in a given volume or mass of soil.
The complete dry weight of organic material found in the biosphere or less strictly, the matter in the biosphere that is contained in living organisms. [Biology; Campbell, Niel; 1118; 1990; Benjamin Cummings, Redwood City.] [ Living in the Environment; Miller, Tyler; 467-470; 1994; Wadworth; Belmont.
Total amount of biotic material, usually expressed per unit surface area or volume, in a medium such as water. WHO, 1979 Material produced by the growth of micro-organisms, plants or animals. Nagel et al.(eds), 1991
The mass of all the organic matter in a given system at a given point in time.
In terms of energy production, biomass is wood and forest residues, crops and other plants, and animal manure.
Plant or animal matter. Biomass can be burned directly as a source of heat or converted to a more convenient gaseous or liquid fuel. Examples include wood and animal waste.
total amount of living organisms and their residues in a volume or mass of the environment.
materials and waste from living things that can be used as a source of fuel, energy, commodity chemicals, animal feed, and specialty products (e.g., flavors, fragrances, pigments).
the amount of living matter in a given habitat, expressed either as the weight of organisms per unit area, or as the volume of organisms per unit volume of habitat
A measure of the abundance of an animal (or group of animals, plants, etc.) in term of the mass ("weight") of the animals, stated as either the total mass of the animals in a given location or per unit area.
Total weight of all organisms in a particular habitat or area.
Biomass is anything derived from plant or animal matter and includes agricultural, forestry wastes/residues and energy crops. It can be used for fuel directly by burning or extraction of combustible oils.
all organic substances: plants, wood chips, bales of straw, liquid manure, organic wastes etc.
The total mass of living organisms within a specific habitat [LCOTE
The total quantity of plants and animals in a lake. Measured as organisms or dry matter per cubic meter, biomass indicates the degree of a lake system's eutrophication or productivity.
The total mass of living organisms in a given area or volume; recently dead plant material is often included as dead biomass. ()
Material composed of garbage, leaf and yard debris, and other organic materials. When decomposed, it serves as a source of methane gas that is used for fuel.
Any kind of organic substance, such as wood, dry plants or organic wastes, that can be turned into fuel.
Materials that are biological in origin, including organic material (both living and dead) from above and below ground, for example, trees, crops, grasses, tree litter, roots, and animals and animal waste.
Living and recently living biological material that can be used as fuel or for industrial production. Examples include switchgrass, corn stover, sugarcane, and trees. The particular plant used is usually not important to the end product. Production of biomass is a growing industry as interest in sustainable fuel sources is growing.
The amount of living material in a given area.
Biologically derived material than can be used as a fuel - e.g. naturally growing wood, plant or animal residues or specially grown energy crops
A mass or clump of organic material consisting of living organisms feeding on the wastes in wastewater, dead organisms and other debris.
Organic non-fossil material of biological origin constituting a renewable energy source.
Biological matter or material. Living animals and plants.
in ecology, all the living things, animal and vegetable, in a certain region.
All of the living material in a given area; often refers to vegetation.
The mass of living organisms. Most of Earth's biomass is located in plant life and decaying soil (p.122-123, 148).
the amount of organic material of biological origin in a given area or volume
The amount of living matter in a particular region, usually expressed as weight (mass) per unit area (e.g., tons per acre).
The total dry mass of an animal or plant population.
The living organisms found in a particular area i.e. soil biomass.
The weight of living tissues usually measured per unit area over a particular time interval. Can include the dead parts of organisms like bark, hair, and nails.
Any quantitative estimate of the total mass or organisms comprising all or part of a population or any other specific unit, or within a given area; measured as volume, mass (live, dead, dry or ash-free weight) or energy (calories); standing crop; standing stock.
(1) the amount of living matter in an area, including plants, large animals and insects; (2) plant materials and animal waste used as fuel.
the total amount of living material of a plant, both above and below ground; more broadly, total dry weight of all living organisms in an area.
The total mass of the organisms in an area
Amount of chemical energy contained in a group of growing plants at any given time; expressed as grams of dry matter per square metre. This differs from yield which is the amount of energy stored in the desired fruit or grain.
Biomass is the amount of animal and plant life in an area. Biomass is usually expressed in units of weight per volume.
The combined mass of living or once-living organisms in a given area.
the total quantity of living things.
Plant material, vegetation, or agricultural wastes used as an energy source.
Is any organic matter that can be used as a fuel to generate energy. Wood and waste wood are common examples of biomass fuel, but biomass also includes such matter as municipal solid waste, agricultural waste, lawn and yard waste, and animal waste--all of which can be converted to energy-producing fuels using available technologies.
A biomass is the total amount of living material in an area. It is calculated by adding up the weights of all of the organisms.
a) the weight of a given organism in a volume of soil that is one m squared at the surface and extending down to the lower limit of the organism's penetration. b) The weight of organisms in a given area or volume.
The total weight of living matter present in a specific area.
The total amount of living matter per unit of surface or volume, expressed as a weight.
The sum total of living and once-living matter contained within a given geographic area.
the amount of organic matter in a particular habitat.
The biodegradable fraction of products, waste and residues from agriculture (including vegetal and animal substances), forestry and related industries, as well as the biodegradable fraction of industrial and municipal waste.
A biomass is the total amount of living material in a region. It is calculated by adding up the weights of all of the individuals.
In ecology, biomass refers to the cumulation of living matter. That is, it is the total living biological material in a given area or of a biological community or group. Biomass is measured by weight, or by dry weight, per given area (usually measured per square metre or square kilometre).
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.