Biogeochemical Carbon Cycle- Fast Cycle Flashcards
What is the formula for photosynthesis?
Carbon dioxide + water ——-> Glucose + oxygen
Sunlight
How do terrestrial plants store carbon?
Land based primary producers (produce own food) - tree or plant - sequester carbon through photosynthesis
What is the formula for respiration?
Glucose + Oxygen———-> Carbon dioxide + water + energy
How much more carbon is taken in by plants then released by respiration?
1000 times more CO2
How does plants exchange of carbon fluctuate?
Has seasonal pattern meaning there is higher CO2 concentrations in Northern hemisphere winter when less photosynthesis
What is happening to total CO2 in the atmosphere over time?
Increasing
When do peaks in CO2 in the atmosphere occur?
When northern hemisphere in winter due to little photosynthesis
When do troughs in CO2 in the atmosphere occur?
In Northern hemisphere summer when trees and vegetation are photosynthesising
What factors can lead to total CO2 in the atmosphere to increase?
Burning fossil fuels
Deforestation _ not storing from photosynthesis
Volcanic eruptions
Forest fires
Increasing population/ urbanisation
What are some examples of phytoplankton?
Cyano bacteria
Green algae
Where do phytoplankton exist?
In the surface waters of the oceans where they carry out photosynthesis (carbon taken from sea so more can enter from atmosphere)
What might happen to phytoplankton over time? (Natural)
Other living organisms feed on the phytoplankton and use the carbon in the calcium carbonate of their shells and skeletons (biological pump)
What are the three types of pump in the ocean carbon cycle?
Biological pump
Geological pump
Physical pump
What is the biological pump?
Transfer of carbon between organisms in the food chain
What is the geological pump?
Transfer of marine organisms into sedimentary rocks farming oil/gas or limestone
What do water currents do to carbon enriched water?
Transport it along the sea floor
What is the physical pump?
Upwelling which can occur bringing CO2 and nutrients to the surface water
what are some other names for thermohaline circulation?
Global conveyor belt
Gulf stream (north atlantic conveyor)
What are surface and deep ocean currents dirven by?
Temperature (thermo) and salinity (haline) and the differences between these for different oceans
What type of water does CO2 dissolve more readily into?
Cold water
Where are important carbon sinks for cold water CO2 absorption?
Southern ocean around Antarctica
What are decomposers also known as?
detrivores
What are some examples of. detrivores?
worms and fungi
What do decomposers do?
break down DOM into CO2, nutrients and water
What happens to the carbon form broken down DOM?
reclaimedand put back into the cycle so other living organisms can use it through soils
How much of global carbon do soil store?
20-30%
What local circumstances affect sequestration or emmittance of carbon?
climate
soil type
soil management
What are some exampels of soil stores of carbon?
long-term decomposition process creates humus carbon-rich soil (60%)
Long term carbon storage in frozen soils have flipped from storage to source as they melt (permafrost)
What is the name of the laboratory in Hawaii that measures concentration of atmospheric carbon?
Mauna Loa observatory
Is the Tundra typically a carbon sink or emitter?
Carbon sink
What are the main carbon stores in the Tundra carbon cycle?
Soils and plant biomass
When is most carbon absorbed in the Tundra?
In the short growing period when plant photosynthesis is greater than carbon respired by plants + soil into atmosphere
How much carbon is contained in the Northern permafrost region?
1460-1600 billion metric tons of organic carbon 2x as much as atmosphere
What is the main threat to the Tundra carbon cycle?
Climate sensitivity
warming causes carbon rich permafrost to thaw releasing CO2 and CH4 creating a feedback loop creating more melting
What is the CO2 flux from permafrost melting? (Tundra pg amount)
0.3 to 0.6 pg C
What % of carbon is stored in the surface soil? (Tundra)
65-75% (0-3 meters)
What % of carbon is stored in the deep soil? (Tundra)
25-30%
(>3m)
How much carbon is placed in deep loess deposits in the Yedoma region? (Amount)
327-466 pg C
How many giga tons of carbon are stored in the amazon rainforest?
up to 200
How much carbon is added to the amazon rainforest store per year?
1.5 billion tons
How many trees are in the amazon rainforest?
3 billion
How much do the trees in the amazon account for global carbon emission on land?
1/4
What is happening to the amazon rainforest carbon sink?
diminishing as tree growth and absorption rate are plateauing
How much has the amazon store of carbon reduced since 1990?
30%
What are the main stores of carbon in the amazon rainforest?
Roots
Micro-organisms
Soil fungi
plants
What ways will the carbon cycle in the amazon rainforest be affected by climate change?
Loss of peat soil could tip rainforest into being carbon emitter
Changing weather and rainfall causing droughts and wildfires which kill organisms
How much carbon was released by a forest fire in the amazon in 2021?
3.6 billion metric tons