GoKawiilStudy ranks Earth's species by biomass, with plants and bacteria far outweighing animals
A global biomass assessment, based on Bar-On et al. 2018, compares species by carbon mass rather than raw weight. Humans weigh about 350 million metric tons, roughly matched by Antarctic krill at 379 million tons, while cattle top animals at 650 million tons (61 million tons of carbon). Animals collectively total 2 billion tons of carbon, far less than bacteria and plants, which dominate Earth's total biomass.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
Measuring biomass by carbon content rather than total weight offers a clearer picture of how energy and matter flow through ecosystems, since it reflects nutritional and ecological value rather than bulk. The comparison suggests that despite humanity's visible dominance over the planet, humans remain a minor contributor to Earth's total living mass compared to microbes and plants, underscoring how much of the biosphere's foundation rests on organisms often overlooked in public perception.
- Humans weigh about as much collectively as Antarctic krill, roughly 350–379 million metric tons.
- Cattle are the heaviest animal species on Earth at 650 million metric tons, or 61 million tons of carbon.
- Animals as a whole account for only 2 billion tons of carbon, a small fraction of Earth's total biomass dominated by plants and bacteria.
Source: signoregalilei.com — .Wp-Block-Post-Author Box-Sizing Border-Box Display Flex Flex-Wrap Wrap .Wp-Block-Post-Author__Byline Font-Size Margin-Bottom Margin-Top Width, 2026-10-06
Published there as: “What's Earth's dominant species by mass?”
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