Recycling within Ecosystems-The Carbon Cycle

Question 1

What does the carbon cycle show?

Answer 1

How carbon is passed on and recycled by organisms

Question 2

What is the carbon cycle driven by?

Answer 2

Process of respiration and photosynthesis

Question 3

What is carbon dioxides role in driving the carbon?

Answer 3

The main vehicle for the cycling of carbon between biotic and abiotic components of the cycle

Question 4

What do animals, plants and microorganisms respire to release?

Answer 4

Carbon Dioxide

Question 5

What are microorganisms particularly important in?

Answer 5

Decomposition of dead organisms and waste.

Question 6

How can the carbon cycle be described?

Answer 6

As a series of phases (below)

Question 7

How is carbon dioxide released into the air?

Answer 7

By animals respiring

Question 8

What happens to the carbon dioxide released from respiring animals?

Answer 8

Plants and photosynthesising organisms take it up and use it in photosynthesis which aids in increasing the plants biomass

Question 9

What happens to these plants that have taken up the carbon dioxide?

Answer 9

Are eaten by animals and the carbon trapped in their biomass is transferred to these animals

Question 10

What do these animals form and what happens to them?

Answer 10

Form a food chain and all die and are decomposed by detritovores which respire and release carbon dioxide into the air

Question 11

What happens to plants if they are not eaten by animals?

Answer 11

die and either decompose or fossilise into fossil fuels which when used by combustion engines release CO2 into the air

Question 12

How can more CO2 be released into the air?

Answer 12

As it can chemically react with water in the air to form carbonic acid and form acid rain, which erodes limestone statues releasing more CO2

Question 13

What would happen to carbon dioxide levels in the air before human interference?

Answer 13

Fluctuate according to natural cycles

Question 14

What is human activity affecting?

Answer 14

The balance of CO2 in the atmosphere

Question 15

Give an example of how human activity is affecting the balance of CO2 in the atmosphere.

Answer 15

Combustion engines are using up a lot of fossil fuels releasing an increased emission of CO2 into the air

Question 16

What other human activity increases the levels of CO2 in the air?

Answer 16

Deforestation for raw materials like timber meaning there are less plants to trap CO2 from the air into plant biomass

Question 17

What is one way which we can help to restore the balance of carbon dioxide in the air?

Answer 17

Use sustainable resources such as carbon neutral bio fuels so that carbon trapped in photosynthesis is equal to carbon released by combustion

Question 18

What is another way which we can help to restore the balance of carbon dioxide in the air?

Answer 18

Reforestation and planting on previously destroyed plant land increasing the number of carbon dioxide trapping organisms.

Question 19

What can these procedures do?

Answer 19

Lower and restore the level of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.