Carbon cycle

1. Carbon Cycle
Shannon Lucky
Daniela Ramirez

2. Natural Pathways
Ocean → diffusion → atmosphere→ diffusion → ocean
animals/plants→ respiration → atmosphere
animals/plants → decomposition → soil respiration → atmosphere
atmosphere → photosynthesis→ plants

4. Natural Reservoirs
1. In the ground as fossil fuel
2. Dissolved in the ocean
3. In the atmosphere
4. In the plants

5. Carbon’s Importance
-Key role in shaping organic molecules, thus living things
need carbon to live, grow, and reproduce.
-It affects the earth’s climate when in the atmosphere

6. Human Impact
MDC: These countries, like the USA, use a lot of
energy and their main source comes from fossil
fuels.
They dig up the fossil fuels and burn them,
which increases the carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere.
LDC: These countries, like the Congo, have
huge populations, so for more space for
population expansion and agriculture
deforestation happens.
Deforestation removes trees. This increases
carbon dioxide levels in the air because the
trees aren’t there to absorb the CO2 through
photosynthesis.

7. Human Impact continued
Carbon Sequestration is when plants remove
carbon dioxide from the air and store it.
Human activity in managing farmland or
forests affects the amount of carbon dioxide
removed from the atmosphere by plants and
trees.
Decreases carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
Geologic Sequestration is capturing carbon
dioxide and storing it underground rather than
permitting it to be released into the
atmosphere.
Reduces CO2 concentrations above ground.

8. Pathway affected by human activities
Burning fossil fuels, which releases large amounts of carbon dioxide into the
atmosphere.
Deforestation, which gets rid of carbon-absorbing vegetation.
Thus, higher levels of CO2 in the atmosphere!! This results in the
earth’s climate warming up.

9. How can we fix it?
Expand use of renewable energy to avoid CO2 emissions from burning fossil fuels.
Enforce regulations to limit the amount of carbon polluters are allowed to emit.
Reduce deforestation
Promoting a clean energy economy by investing in energy efficient technologies and
industries.