Plants make up 82% of the total biomass of Earth. Of all the mammals on Earth, 96% are livestock and humans, only 4% are wild mammals. Of all the birds on Earth, 70% are chicken and poultry, 30% are wild birds. The total biomass of the human race accounts for just 0.01% of all life on Earth.

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Humans just 0.01% of all life but have destroyed 83% of wild mammals – study

Humankind is revealed as simultaneously insignificant and utterly dominant in the grand scheme of life on Earth by a groundbreaking new assessment of all life on the planet.

The world’s 7.6 billion people represent just 0.01% of all living things, according to the study. Yet since the dawn of civilisation, humanity has caused the loss of 83% of all wild mammals and half of plants, while livestock kept by humans abounds.

The new work is the first comprehensive estimate of the weight of every class of living creature and overturns some long-held assumptions. Bacteria are indeed a major life form – 13% of everything – but plants overshadow everything, representing 82% of all living matter. All other creatures, from insects to fungi, to… Continue Reading (5 minute read)

6 thoughts on “Plants make up 82% of the total biomass of Earth. Of all the mammals on Earth, 96% are livestock and humans, only 4% are wild mammals. Of all the birds on Earth, 70% are chicken and poultry, 30% are wild birds. The total biomass of the human race accounts for just 0.01% of all life on Earth.”

  1. Zilreth

    Even more fascinating, 13% of biomass is sub-surface bacteria. That is insane.

    Reply
  2. philosopher-z0rk

    I think this fact alone gives credence that we are in the anthropocene

    Reply
  3. CaptSnap

    Total biomass: 550 Gt

    Plants: 450 Gt

    Bacteria: 70 Gt

    Fungi: 12 Gt

    Archaea (think econo-model of bacteria) 7 Gt

    Protists 4 Gt

    Animals are 2 Gt

    Out of the Animals 2 Gt they are subdivided like this:

    Arthroprods (insects and crustaceans) 1 Gt
    Fish 0.7 Gt

    Molluscs 0.2 Gt

    Annelids (worms) 0.2 Gt

    Cnidarians (jellyfish, anemones..think aquatic crap that eats shit) 0.2Gt

    Livestock 0.1 Gt

    Humans (this is you) 0.06 Gt

    Wild Mammals 0.007 Gt

    Wild Birds 0.002 Gt

    Reply
  5. fullautohotdog

    Fun Fact of the Day: Your mom makes up 96% of the human race’s biomass…

    Reply
  6. dano159

    Anyone know how the lab grown meats are going? Are they ever going to be useful to replace meat or is eating less meat the only real option we have to reduce our greenhouse gas output?

    Reply

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