Short-term carbon cycle

Question 1

What is the short-term carbon cycle?

Answer 1

Movement of carbon through the biosphere

Question 2

How much more carbon does the short-term carbon cycle move than the long-term?

Answer 2

100-1,000 times more carbon and does it faster

Question 3

How does carbon move through the short-term carbon cycle?

Answer 3

Plants absorb carbon dioxide through photosynthesis and uses energy from the sun to turn it into carbohydrates and release oxygen

Question 4

What else photosynthesises?

Answer 4

Phytoplankton in the oceans

Question 5

How else does carbon move through the short-term carbon cycle?

Answer 5

Animals respiring and releasing methane when digesting food.
Decomposition of dead organisms.
Fires release carbon back into the atmosphere.

Question 6

How much carbon moves through the short-term carbon cycle each year?

Answer 6

Between 1,000 million to 100,000,000,000 metric tons

Question 7

Where are huge carbon stores?

Answer 7

Peat soils are very wet meaning there is little oxygen in the soil which stops decomposition