The Carbon Cycle on a Global Scale Flashcards
What is a Carbon Sink?
Any store which takes in more carbon than it emits
What is a Carbon Source?
Any store that emits more carbon than it stores.
What is the largest carbon store and its size?
Marine Sediments and Sedimentary Rocks in the Lithosphere. It stores 66,000-100,000 million billion metric tons of carbon.
Why is Marine Sediments and Sedimentary Rocks considered a long-term carbon store?
The rock cycle and continental drift recycle the rock over thousands of millions of years
What is the second-largest carbon store and its size?
Oceans in the hydrosphere. It stores 38,000 billion metric tons of carbon.
Why is the ocean carbon store dynamic?
Carbon is used by marine organisms, lost to the lithosphere, or added through rivers and erosion.
How much Carbon is stores in fossil fuel deposits, and why are they considered dynamic?
4,000 billion metric tons of carbon remain, and they are dynamic due to human exploitation.
How much carbon is stored in Soil Organic Matter, and how long is it stored?
1,500 billion metric tons of carbon, stored for over a hundred years
What Human Activities affect Soil Organic Matter as a carbon store?
Deforestation, agriculture, and land use change.
How much carbon is stored in the atmosphere?
750 billion metric tons of carbon
What has caused CO2 levels in the atmosphere to increase?
Human activity, increasing CO2 levels by around 40% since the industrial revolution.
How much carbon is stored in terrestrial plants, and why is it considered dynamic?
560 billion metric tons of carbon. It is vulnerable to climate change and deforestation.
What is happening to carbon storage in forests?
It is declining annually in some areas due to climate change and deforestation.
How have Carbon stocks in Brazil and Indonesia changed in the last 25 years?
They have decreases by around 5 Gigatons of Carbon
How have carbon stocks changed in Russia, USA, and China in the last 25 years?
They have increased by approximately 0.3,2.9, and 2.3 GtC, respectively.
What has caused an increase in carbon sequestration in non-tropical forests?
Conversion of agricultural land and plantations to new forests, particularly in Europe and Eastern Asia.
What is the future trend for forested areas in industrialised regions and the global south?
Forests in industrialised regions are expected to increase by 2050, while forested areas in the global south will decrease.
How has the rate of forest loss changed over time?
It decreased from 9.5 million hectares per year in the 1990’s to 5.5 million hectares per year in 2010-15
Which eight countries have the largest forested land?
Russia, Brazil, china, Canada, USA, DRC, Australia and Indonesia
Which country has the most carbon stored on land and the most extensive deforested area?
Brazil
Which country has the most carbon stored on land and the most extensive deforested area?
Brazil
Which country has the largest amount of afforested area?
China
What does Net Primary Productivity refer to?
The amount of carbon stored by forests?
How does NPP differ between tropical and deciduous forests?
Tropical forests have a positive NPP year-round, while deciduous forests have a negative NPP in winter but a positive NPP across the whole year.
