water and carbon -what carbon effects Flashcards
what 3 things does carbon effect?
.land
.ocean
.atmosphere
how does carbon effect land?
.the carbon cycle allows plants to grow (photosynthesise, decompose)
-all primary consumers depend on plants
how does changes to the carbon cycle effect land?
.changes can reduce the amount of carbon stored in land -which can result in:
-more carbon available to plants so increased plant growth
-an increase in global temps due to more carbon could increase the frequency of wildfires
-led to melting of permafrost in tundra regions which releases methane stored in the soil
how does carbon effect oceans?
.co2 is dissolved directly into the oceans from the atmosphere
.organisms such as phytoplankton and seaweed use co2 during photosynthesis which means carbon is passed through the food chain
why have recent changes seen in the ocean consistent with increasing levels of co2 and global warming?
.more co2 in the atmosphere means more acidic oceans as the oceans absorb more co2 -this effects marine life
.warm ocean temperatures may mean phytoplankton can no longer survive the conditions and no longer sequester carbon from the atmosphere
does warmer oceans cause sea ice to melt?
.yes, the loss of sea ice results in a loss of habitat for species of algae that support marine consumers
how does carbon effect the atmosphere?
.the carbon cycle effects the amount of gasses containing co2 in the atmosphere
what do greenhouse gases do?
.ensure that climate is warm enough to support life on earth
what does a higher concentration of green house gases mean for temperatures?
.higher concentration of greenhouse gases cause higher temperatures (global warming) -greenhouse gas emissions have increased significantly due to human activity -this has led to the enhanced greenhouse gas effect
what does global warming affect in terms of climate?
.it will effect global atmospheric wind, rainfall distribution and intensity and frequency of storms
