6.2

Question 1

Explain the role of the oceans biological pump in the carbon cylce

Answer 1

(store 38 terra-tones of Carbon)
Biological Pump:
-Carbon is stored as dissolved carbon dioxide through sequestration by algae and phytoplankton
-These are the basis for the ocean food web, biological decay returns carbon to the atmosphere, however it is possible the phytoplankton o algae will sink to the ocean floor and go through the geological storage process

Question 2

Explain the role of the oceans carbonate pump in the carbon cycle

Answer 2

• Only a small portion of he carbon enters the carbonate pump
• Dead organic matter e.g. dead shells or phytoplankton, sink to the sea floor and go through sedimentation
• These will eventually become carbonate rocks like limestone, creating a geological carbon store
• This takes place on timescales of millions of years

Question 3

Explain the role of the oceans physical pump in the carbon cycle

Answer 3

The Thermohailine circulation moves carbon through ocean currents
Carbon may dissolve physically into the water which makes it more acidic, these can have negative effects for coral and other ocean ecosystems

Question 4

What role do terrestrial primary producers play in the carbon cycle

Answer 4

• Sequestering carbon through the processes of photosynthesis
• Primary producers use solar energy to produce biomass , consuming and storing carbon
• Carbon fixation turns gaseous carbon into living matter e.g. carbon makes up 95% or a trees biomass
• They also release carbon dioxide through respiration

Question 5

What role do terrestrial primary consumers play in the carbon cycle

Answer 5

• Depend on primary producers and return carbon to the atmosphere during respiration
• Decomposers such as worms, insects and bacteria feed on dead plants and decompose them leading to the release of CO2 and methane
• Carbon consumed by consumers turns to proteins and fats which are stored until the organism decomposes

Question 6

What is the role of soil in the carbon cycle

Answer 6

-Sequesters 2x more than atmosphere and 3x more than terrestrial vegetation
-Make up 20-30% of global stores
-Carbon stored in soil is carbon not in atmosphere
-tundra stores carbon for millennia, they can store 800 tonnes per hectare
MANGROVES:
-grow quickly and absorb lots of carbon
-submerged under high tides with anaerobic conditions, so little carbon is respired back into the atmosphere if any
-stores remain for thousands of years