Carbon Cycle Flashcards
what is the carbon cycle?
the movement of atoms and molecules containing the element carbon (carbon dioxide, glucose, methane) between sources and sinks
what is the difference between some carbon reservoirs compared to others?
some of the reservoirs in which carbon compounds occur in the carbon cycle hold those compounds for long periods of time, while some hold them for relatively short periods of time
what is the mini-loop in the carbon cycle?
carbon cycles between photosynthesis and cellular respiration in living things
what is the major time discrepancy in the carbon cycle?
plant and animal decomposition have led to the storage of carbon over millions of years while the burning of fossil fuels quickly moves that stored carbon into atmospheric carbon, in the form of carbon dioxide; burial (the formation of fossil fuels) takes longer than extraction and combustion which means they increase the concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere
what steps in the carbon cycle are quick? which ones are slow?
fossil fuel combustion is very quick while sedimentation and burial are very slow
the differences in the amount of time involved in each step of the carbon cycle leads to:
an imbalance in which reservoirs or sinks are storing carbons
what is a key reservoir of carbon?
the atmosphere
what happens if there are increasing levels of carbon in the atmosphere?
global warming
what is a carbon sink?
a carbon reservoir that stores more carbon than it releases
what are some examples of carbon sinks?
the ocean (algae and sediments), plants, soil
what is a carbon source?
processes that add carbon to the atmosphere
what are some examples of carbon sources?
fossil fuel (oil, coal, natural gas) combustion, animal agriculture (cow burps/farts release methane), and deforestation releases carbon dioxide from trees and prevents more atmospheric carbon from being absorbed
which organisms perform photosynthesis?
plants, algae, phytoplankton
what does photosynthesis do in the carbon cycle?
it removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and converts it to glucose
what is glucose?
a biological form of carbon, stored as chemical energy in the form of sugar