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THE CARBON CYCLE

THE CARBON CYCLE. What Is Carbon?. An element The basis of life on earth Present in rocks, oceans and atmosphere. Carbon Cycle. Carbon is cycled between the earth and the atmosphere. Plants Use Carbon Dioxide. Plants pull carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere and use it to make food

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THE CARBON CYCLE

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  1. THE CARBON CYCLE

  2. What Is Carbon? • An element • The basis of life on earth • Present in rocks, oceans and atmosphere

  3. Carbon Cycle • Carbon is cycled between the earth and the atmosphere

  4. Plants Use Carbon Dioxide • Plants pull carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere and use it to make food • The carbon becomes part of the plant (stored food)

  5. Animals Eat Plants • When organisms consume plants, they take in the carbon and some of it becomes part of their own bodies.

  6. Decomposition of Plants and Animals • When plants and animals die, most of their bodies are decomposed and carbon atoms are returned to the atmosphere. • Some are not decomposed fully and end up in deposits underground as fossil fuels (oil, coal, etc.).

  7. Carbon Slowly Returns to Atmosphere • Carbon found in rocks and underground deposits is released very slowly into the atmosphere • The result is that carbon on earth is found in some active pools and some relatively inactive pools, depending on the rate at which it cycles in and out.

  8. Carbon in Atmosphere Plants use carbon to make food Decomposers break down dead things, releasing carbon to atmosphere and soil Plants and animals die Fossil fuels are burned; carbon is returned to atmosphere Animals eat plants and take in carbon Bodies not decomposed — after many years, become part of oil or coal deposits Carbon slowly released from these substances returns to atmosphere Carbon Cycle Diagram Active compartments are denoted in red

  9. Carbon in Oceans • Carbon is also stored in the ocean. • Carbon is found in the form of calcium carbonate in the shell of aquatic species. • When animals die, carbon substances are deposited at the bottom of oceans. • Oceans contain earth’s largest reservoir of carbon.

  10. The Carbon Cycle

  11. Human Impact • The release of carbon in fossil fuels is very slow • Burning releases additional carbon into atmosphere — especially fossil fuels • Increased carbon dioxide in atmosphere increases global warming • Fewer plants mean less CO2 removed from atmosphere

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