Human factors leading to change in the carbon cycle Flashcards
How does the animal population lead to change?
- more carbon released through burning fossil fuels- lead more plants taking up more C02.- Animals eat the plants- have a larger store of carbon. - when animals die the amount of carbon realised is a higher amount.
Also what happens in the ocean regarding the animal population which contributes to change in the carbon cycle?
When organisms die they sink to the bottom of the ocean floor.
Overtime they become cemented together creating rocks which means that they are storing carbon in stone.
How are fish and other organisms becoming more threatened in the oceans?
Due to an increasing amount of plastic humans use and leave by seas and oceans.
Fish will think the plastic is food and begin to consume it- will later result in the organisms dying which contributes to the increase amount of carbon being released.
Give an example of Negative feedback regarding temperature change?
Negative feedback can be seen in temperature change due to the increase in carbon emissions. The increased temperatures can result in the growth of more trees. Due to the increase of trees, the carbon intake also increased, thus potentially nullifying the affects of extra carbon.
Give an example of positive feedback regarding the carbon cycle?
Increase in carbon can cause the desertification of correct landscapes, thus reducing the number of trees taking in carbon. Overall, this means there is more carbon in the atmosphere, and the initial affects are amplified rather than nullified.
How does transport lead to change in the carbon cycle?
Increase of people having cars due to increasing wealth would mean that more road networks would be built and as a result carbon dioxide emissions would increase.
However, what is happening in modern society regarding cars/ transport?
Modern society more electric cars are being made which is helping to decrease the carbon emissions but to power the electric cars, the power can be generated using carbon thus shifting the problem.
How is the growth of airports a contributing factor to change within the carbon cycle?
The growth of airports would mean that less tress would be planted as birds could disrupt flight patterns. Airplanes are a large source of carbon emissions, this would mean that the bigger airport, more planes would be able to fly from a certain area.
How is agriculture a human factor to which is changing the carbon cycle?
Agriculture in countries such as Brazil, trees are being felled in order to have more land available for livestock and agricultural farming- means less carbon is absorbed by trees from the atmosphere, resulting in more carbon in the atmosphere, and less in the biosphere, contributing to climate change.
What happens to land which was previously natural grasslands?
The crops replacing this often take in more carbon dioxide when growing, thus having the opposite affect to the previous point.
Mechanization of farming is resulting in what?
An increase in carbon emissions in the processes of farming.
How does carbon sequestration a human factor leading to changes in the carbon cycle?
The process of carbon sequestration involves capturing carbon dioxide and storing it long term.
Geologic sequestration means that the carbon is captured at its source such as power plants and then injected into underground storage.- The could be depleted oil and gas reservoirs and coal steams. However, this is very experimental at this stage.
Carbon can also be captured in the oceans, how is this possible?
Due to its large surface area. The carbon in the ocean is sunk within weeks or months meaning that it would be in a circulatory system.
Biological sequestration is what process?
It is the process of capturing carbon long term within plants from the atmosphere and storing it in the stems and roots as well as the soil. This would mean that the ecosystems would be positive leading to the enrichment of wildlife.- However this process is not guaranteed as plants and trees can immediately be lost due to forest fires and infestations.
What are the management strategies to help and reduce C02 emissions?
There are many ways that humans try to reduce the amount of carbon used day to day. For example, many homes are beginning to use renewable energy sources such as wind, solar , water to generate electricity.
