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Aboveground biomass is used to estimate productivity on land. What does that measurement leave out?
AThe leaves on the trees
BThe stems above the soil
CThe seeds in the flowers
DThe roots below the soil
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: D. The roots below the soil
1. Aboveground biomass is the total mass of living plants per unit area.
2. As the name says, only the parts above the ground are weighed.
3. Roots are excluded, so a large share of the plant material is never counted.
4. That makes the figure an estimate rather than a full measure of plant mass.
_Source: OpenStax Biology 1e (CC BY 4.0), Chs 44 and 46, section 44.2 Biogeography_
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