Biogeochemical Cycles (Carbon cycle)

Question 1

______, also
known as nutrient cycles,
describe the movement of
chemical elements through
different media, such as the
atmosphere, soil, rocks,
bodies of water, and
organisms. ____ keep essential
elements available to
plants and other
organisms.

Answer 1

Biogeochemical cycles

Question 2

The term biogeochemical
is derived from “bio”
meaning ___,
“geo” meaning the
___
and “chemical” meaning
the ___ that move
through a cycle.

Answer 2

biosphere
geological components
elements

Question 3

The “______” states that
matter is neither created
nor destroyed. The same
is true in an ecosystem.
Matter moves through
different media, and
atoms may react to form
new molecules, but the
amount of matter remains
constant.

Answer 3

law of conservation
of mass

Question 4

Different Biogeochemical Cycles:

Answer 4

The Carbon Cycle
The Nitrogen Cycle
The Water Cycle

Question 5

The ___ operates
through five major locations
where carbon is stored or
cycled:
1) Atmosphere
2) Terrestrial Biosphere
3) Earth’s Interior
4) Ocean
5) Human Influence

Answer 5

carbon cycle

Question 6

The Carbon Cycle

_____

Role: The atmosphere contains carbon
primarily in the form of carbon dioxide
(CO2) and methane (CH4).

Significance: These gases are critical
for regulating Earth’s temperature
through the greenhouse effect. Carbon
moves between the atmosphere and
other locations via processes like
photosynthesis, respiration, and
combustion.

Answer 6

A.) Atmosphere

Question 7

The Carbon Cycle Learn about it!

______
Role: This includes all land-based
ecosystems, such as forests, grasslands,
and soils.

Significance: Plants absorb CO2 during
photosynthesis, storing carbon in their
biomass. When plants and animals die,
decomposers break them down,
returning carbon to the soil or releasing it
back into the atmosphere.

Answer 7

B.) Terrestrial Biosphere:

Question 8

The Carbon Cycle Learn about it!

______

Role: Carbon stored deep within the
Earth’s crust and mantle, primarily as
carbonate rocks (e.g., limestone) and
fossil fuels.

Significance: Carbon here is part of
long-term storage. It is released slowly
through processes like volcanic eruptions
or rapidly through human activities like
fossil fuel extraction and combustion.

Answer 8

.) Earth’s Interior

Question 9

The Carbon Cycle Learn about it!

Role: The ocean is the largest active
carbon reservoir on Earth.

Significance: Carbon is absorbed from
the atmosphere, dissolved in ocean
water, and used by marine organisms to
form calcium carbonate shells. Over
time, these shells contribute to the
formation of limestone on the ocean
floor. The ocean also plays a key role in
regulating atmospheric CO2 levels.

Answer 9

D.) Ocean

Question 10

The absorption of
carbon dioxide is
fundamentally
changing the
chemistry of the
ocean by triggering
reactions that
make seawater
more acidic, a
phenomenon
called _____

Answer 10

ocean
acidification.

Question 11

The Carbon Cycle Learn about it!

____

Role: Human activities, such as burning
fossil fuels, deforestation, and industrial
processes, significantly impact the
carbon cycle.

Significance: Humans have
accelerated the release of carbon from
long-term storage in the Earth’s interior
and terrestrial biosphere into the
atmosphere, leading to increased
atmospheric CO2 levels and contributing
to global climate change.

Answer 11

E.) Human Influence