Carbon Cycle Flashcards
Which process, occurring in plants, powers the carbon cycle?
Photosynthesis
Explain how the carbon cycle works
1) Plants photosynthesise, using CO2 to make carbohydrates, fats and proteins
2) Eating passes these carbon compounds to animals
3) Plant and Animal respiration, when alive, releases CO2 into the atmosphere
4) Plants + Animals eventually die and decompose/killed and turned into useful products
5) When they are decomposed by microorganisms like bacteria and fungi, CO2 is released back into the atmosphere by respiration, as they break down the material
6) Some useful products (eg: wood and fossil fuels) combust, releasing more CO2 into the atmosphere
7) Decomposition of materials mean that habitats can be maintained for the organisms living there (nutrients are returned to the soil and waste material doesn’t pile up)
What does deforestation do to the carbon cycle?
Deforestation ⬇️ Less trees to photosynthesise ⬇️ Imbalance of carbon cycling
How do sedimentary rocks like limestone contribute to the carbon cycle?
When used in buildings, carbon is released into the atmosphere
What is the Human Enhanced Greenhouse Effect?
Hen human activity increases the carbon compounds (eg: carbon dioxide and methane) in the atmosphere
This increases the heat remitted back to Earth and leaves less escaping into space
How can the following be reduced:
CO2 emissions from burning fossil fuels.
CO2 can be captured and stored from fossil fuel power stations
How can the following be reduced:
CH4 emissions form the anaerobic decay of organic matter in waterlogged conditions
Remove CO2 by seeding oceans with iron to increase phytoplankton growth
How can the following be reduced:
CO2 AND CH4 emissions from burning rainforests
Increasing the production of alternative fuel sources like hydrogen
How can the following be reduced:
CH4 emissions from the digestive systems of cattle
Better recycling and production of biofuel from organic waste
What is biomass?
The total mass in living organisms, usually shown as the mass after dying
What is photosynthesis?
A series of enzyme catalysed reactions carried out in the green parts of plants. Carbon dioxide and water combine to form glucose.
Requires energy transferred by light
What are fossil fuels?
A fuel formed from the dead remains of organisms over millions of years
What is respiration?
A series of reactions occurring in all living cells, in which glucose is broken down to releases energy
What is combustion?
The scientific term for burning
What is decay?
A process in which complex substances in dead plants and animals are broken down onto simpler substances by decomposers
