Lesson 3.5 - Terrestrial Sequestration

Question 1

What are primary producers?

Answer 1

Plants
Remove carbon by photosynthesis
Release CO2 through respiration

Question 2

What happens when primary producers are consumed?

Answer 2

Carbon from plant becomes part of consumers fats + proteins

Question 3

How do consumer animals transfer carbon?

Answer 3

Waste materials
Consumed by micro-organisms + detritus feeders

Question 4

What is detritus?

Answer 4

Decomposing plant + animal parts
Shite

Question 5

Where are decompositional processes the most efficient?

Answer 5

Tropical climates
High rainfall, temperatures + oxygen levels

Question 6

What is NPP?

Answer 6

Net Primary Productivity
Rate at which plants are able to produce biomass minus energy lost through respiration

Question 7

Globally, what are the most productive biomes?

Answer 7

Tropical forests, savannah + grasslands
Account for half of global NPP

Question 8

Which stores dominate these biomes?

Answer 8

Plants + soils
Trees are single largest store
Can live 10s, 100s, or 1000s of years

Question 9

How can carbon fluxes vary?

Answer 9

Seasonally
Diurnally

Question 10

What are seasonal flux variations?

Answer 10

Seasons affect plant growth + decay
Less growth + more decay = more CO2

Question 11

What are diurnal flux variations?

Answer 11

Positive during the day
Negative during the night

Question 12

What are positive and negative fluxes?

Answer 12

P - Net gain to ecosystem from atmos
N - Net loss to ecosystem from atmos