Unit 2 Lesson 4: Storage of Carbon

Question 1

storage areas of carbon are called

Answer 1

carbon sinks or reservoirs

Question 2

reservoir

Answer 2

reservoir – an area that stores carbon

Question 3

carbon sink

Answer 3

an area where carbon is stored

Question 4

The carbon cycle involves the movement of carbon between four main reservoirs:

Answer 4

• atmosphere
• ocean
• sediments
• terrestrial biosphere

Question 5

What does the terrestrial biosphere include

Answer 5

The terrestrial biosphere includes organisms on land and in freshwater systems, as well as organic matter found in soil.

Question 6

What do sediments include

Answer 6

Sediments include all fossil fuels found in the ground.

Question 7

The ocean is one of the largest reservoirs of carbon why is that

Answer 7

The ocean is one of the largest reservoirs of carbon because of its vast coverage of the planet and the fact that it is in direct contact with the atmosphere.

Question 8

Why is carbon exhange in the ocean limited

Answer 8

However, water in extremely deep areas of the ocean lacks atmospheric contact, so carbon exchange at this depth is limited.

Question 9

Any movement of carbon between the reservoirs is called a

Answer 9

flux

Question 10

What is exmaple of a flux

Answer 10

For example, the smaller cycle of carbon between photosynthesis and carbon stored in soils continually flux between the biosphere and the atmosphere.

Question 11

The amount of carbon is measured in units called

Answer 11

The amount of carbon is measured in units called gigatons of carbon (GtC).

Question 12

Is there a lot or a little bit of carbon in living thing?

Answer 12

Only a small amount of carbon is stored in living things.

Question 13

Where is most of the carbon found in plant biomass?

Answer 13

. Most of the carbon found in plant biomass is found in trees.

Question 14

biomass

Answer 14

the total amount of living material in a given area

Question 15

Does the atomsphere have a lot or a little bit of carbon

Answer 15

Notice also that the amount of carbon in the atmosphere is relatively small.

Question 16

Compared to other planets such as Venus and Mars, Earth has very little carbon in its atmosphere. The main reason for this is simple:

Answer 16

life! Plants take in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere during photosynthesis to make glucose needed for energy.

Question 17

How do animals such as clams and oysters use carbon in the ocean

Answer 17

animals such as clams and oysters that produce shells take carbon out of the water to build their homes.

Question 18

what are the shells of oysters and clams mad eout of

Answer 18

Their shells are composed of calcium carbonate (CaCO3)
.

Question 19

What does the strucuture mantle in oysters and clams allow them to do

Answer 19

These animals have a specialized structure called a mantle that absorbs minerals from the water to produce the calcium carbonate it uses to build the shell around their bodies.

Question 20

IS the large or small amount opf carbon in rocks and sediments

Answer 20

Additionally, a large amount of carbon is stored in rocks and sediments throughout most of the planet.

Question 21

residence time

Answer 21

the amount of time carbon spends in a particular reservoir

Question 22

How to find the residence time

Answer 22

This value can be calculated by dividing the amount of carbon in the reservoir by the rate of input or output.

Question 23

How does carbom moving fast in the atompshere into the ssediment/rock affect its resdience time

Answer 23

The faster carbon atoms move from the atmosphere into the sediment/rock, the shorter their residence times will be in the atmosphere and the oceans.

Question 24

What happens if the amount of carbon is so large? How does this affect the resdience time and the time it takes for the depostion into rock?

Answer 24

If the amount of carbon is so large that the residence times increase, then the deposition into rock slows down. The carbon gets stuck in the atmosphere and the oceans, causing them to heat up. This is what is currently happening with climate change.

Question 25

Where is the main stroage of carbon in organsims

Answer 25

The main storage of carbon in organisms is in plants from photosynthesis or in the shells of mollusks.

Question 26

what is a reason why there is so little carbon in Earth’s atosmsphere

Answer 26

This is one reason why there is so little carbon in Earth’s atmosphere compared to other planets

Question 27

Which area is the largest carbon reservoir on Earth?

Answer 27

​Rocks and sediments store more carbon than anywhere else.​

Question 28

What effect does an excess of carbon have on the atmosphere?

Answer 28

An excess of carbon in the atmosphere warms the planet. The burning of fossil fuels has deposited a large amount of carbon in the air which prevents the sun’s heat energy from escaping the atmosphere.

Question 29

​How does the structure of a carbohydrate relate to the carbon cycle?​

Answer 29

Carbohydrates are organic molecules, meaning they are composed of carbon and other atoms. The carbon for these molecules comes from the environment when dead organisms are decomposed.

Question 30

​Why is there so little carbon dioxide in Earth’s atmosphere compared to Venus and Mars?​

Answer 30

​The planet Earth has something those two planets do not have – life. Plants, for example, take carbon out of the air to use during photosynthesis. This dramatically reduces the amount of carbon dioxide in the air.​

Question 31

​What is another way in which living things store carbon?​

Answer 31

Animals that make shells take carbon out of the water or air to form their shells.

Question 32

​What is the main carbon reservoir for living things?​

Answer 32

The main carbon reservoir for living things is trees and other producers. This is due to photosynthesis taking carbon dioxide out of the air.

Question 33

How is the residence time of a carbon atom calculated?

Answer 33

The residence time is calculated by dividing the amount of carbon in the reservoir by the rate of input or output.

Question 34

What is the importance of photosynthesis to the amount of carbon stored in a reservoir?

Answer 34

Photosynthesis is how most of the carbon is removed from the atmosphere and brought into the other reservoirs (like the oceans, soil, and terrestrial biosphere). This process takes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and converts it into glucose, which plants use for energy.

Question 35

carbon footprint

Answer 35

carbon footprint – measure of the impact that human activities have on global warming

Question 36

greenhouse effect

Answer 36

gases released either naturally or through human activity, block heat from escaping Earth’s atmosphere and in turn increase global temperatures

Question 37

climate intervention

Answer 37

strategies used by scientists to find alternative ways of storing carbon to reduce or eliminate global warming

Question 38

What molecules does photosynthesis produce?

Answer 38

Photosynthesis produces glucose and oxygen.

Question 39

What types of organisms would be considered producers?

Answer 39

Plants and trees are the main producers on land. Algae and bacteria are the main producers in the water.