What term refers to the total amount of living tissue within a given trophic level?

The term that refers to the total amount of living tissue within a given trophic level is biomass. Biomass is measured as the mass of living organisms in a specific area at a given time, encompassing all forms of life present at that particular level in an ecosystem, such as plants, animals, and microorganisms. It serves as a crucial indicator of the productivity and energy available within an ecosystem.

Nutrients are substances that provide nourishment essential for growth and the maintenance of life, but they are not a measure of living tissue. A limiting nutrient is an essential nutrient that is in short supply and thus restricts the growth of organisms in an ecosystem; it is not related to the measurement of living tissue itself. Trophic level refers to the position that an organism occupies in a food web, from producers to various levels of consumers, but it does not quantify the amount of living tissue. Therefore, biomass specifically captures the concept of the total living tissue within a trophic level.