A question my professor pitched to us as extra-credit.
2007-01-08 21:56:01 · 3 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Zoology
I'm pretty certain that the weight of the non-living matter that makes up planet earth is far greater than the total living matter, so I suspect the question is actually "What species takes up 15% of Earth's biomass?" biomass is the mass of living creatures.
I'm not sure of the specific creature, but the answer is some sort of bacteria. According to the website below "it is now estimated that the mass of life (primarily bacteria) beneath the Earth's crust is greater (by far) than the mass of life in and on and above the crust"
The second website contains an estimate that the mass of bacteria below ground is about 100 times the mass of all living creatures above it, and that if these bacteria were piled up on the surface they would cover the earth with a layer 1.5m deep!
As for surface level animals, the final link shows a couple of reports that suggest 15% of *animals* by mass are ants.
2007-01-08 22:27:35 · answer #1 · answered by robcraine 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Its not an animal per se, but scientists say that ants (the insect) take up about 15% of the Earth's biomass (the combined weight of all living things). This does not account for other contributors to the Earth's weight such as land, oceans, etc. though.
Best I can help ya with.
2007-01-08 22:12:07 · answer #2 · answered by JoeSchmo5819 4 · 2⤊ 1⤋
As far as i know Maybe the biggest and the largest animal on the world like the Blue whale maybe group and Thousand and Thousand of Blue Whales maybe just imagine it a 200 tonnes Thousands of Blue Whale thats extremly heavy!
Im not sure at ma ans.
2007-01-09 07:11:56 · answer #3 · answered by DaRkAngeL XIII 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋