The Carbon Cycle PDF

THE CARBON CYCLE  What Is Carbon? An element (Chemical symbol C) The basis of life on earth. It is the building block of material in ALL living things. Present in rocks, oceans and the atmosphere. It is also found in most materials made of plants and animals.  Carbon is chem...

THE CARBON CYCLE  What Is Carbon? An element (Chemical symbol C) The basis of life on earth. It is the building block of material in ALL living things. Present in rocks, oceans and the atmosphere. It is also found in most materials made of plants and animals.  Carbon is chemically bonded to other atoms of Carbon or other elements to make molecules Molecules with two or more elements are called Compounds Carbon forms more compounds than any other element except Hydrogen. Organic compounds refers to substances containing carbon  Carbon atoms form part of the backbone for major molecules in all living things including… Fats DNA  Carbon Cycle Carbon is cycled between the earth and the atmosphere  Plants Use Carbon Dioxide Plants pull carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere and use it to make food The carbon becomes part of the plant (stored food)  Animals Eat Plants When organisms consume plants, they take in the carbon and some of it becomes part of their own bodies. Decomposition of Plants and Animals When plants and animals die, most of their bodies are decomposed and carbon atoms are returned to the atmosphere. Some are not decomposed fully and end up in deposits underground as fossil fuels (oil, coal, etc.). Carbon Slowly Returns to Atmosphere Carbon found in rocks and underground deposits is released very slowly into the atmosphere The result is that carbon on earth is found in some active pools and some relatively inactive pools, depending on the rate at which it cycles in and out.  Carbon Cycle Diagram Carbon in Atmosphere Plants use Decomposers carbon to make break down dead food things, releasing carbon to Plants and atmosphere and animals die Fossil fuels are soil Animals eat burned; carbon plants and is returned to Bodies not take in carbon atmosphere decomposed — Carbon slowly after many years, released from become part of these substances oil or coal returns to deposits atmosphere Active compartments are denoted in red  Carbon in Oceans Carbon is also stored in the ocean. Carbon is found in the form of calcium carbonate in the shell of aquatic species. When animals die, carbon substances are deposited at the bottom of oceans. Oceans contain earth’s largest reservoir of carbon. The Carbon Cycle  Human Impact The release of carbon in fossil fuels is very slow Burning releases additional carbon into atmosphere — especially fossil fuels (oil, natural gas, and coal) Increased carbon dioxide in atmosphere increases global warming Fewer plants mean less CO2 removed from atmosphere