The
carbon
cycle

the carbon cycle?
The carbon cycle plays an important role to earth.
As humans are trying to change the cycle, life on
earth will be dangerously affected. Trees and plant
life helps to prevent carbon from building in one
place. To fulfill the ever growing consumption
demands of natural resources, humans are cutting
down more trees. The carbon dioxide collected by
these trees returns to the atmosphere and oceans.
It increases the level of greenhouse
gases, increasing the greenhouse effect, trapping
heat into a planet and increasing global warming.

Processes
involved in
the carbon
cycle

• Carbon moves from the atmosphere to plants- Carbon is
combined with a gas called carbon dioxide (CO2) in the
atmosphere. With the sun’s aid and photosynthesis, carbon
dioxide is pulled from the air to make plant food using the
carbon.
• Carbon moves from plants to animals- The carbon that is in
plants moves to the animals that eat them. These animals
are eaten by other animals and the carbon moves to these
carnivores through the food chain.
• Carbon moves from plants and animals to the ground- The
bodies, wood and leaves of plants and animals decay when
they die. This brings carbon into the ground which becomes
fossil fuels.

• Carbon moves from living things to the atmosphere-When
animals exhale, they release carbon dioxide gas into the
atmosphere. Animals and plants get rid of carbon dioxide
through a process known as respiration.
• Carbon moves from fossil fuels to the atmosphere when
fuels are burned- Fossil fuels are burned in power
factories, power plants, cars and trucks with most of the
carbon existing in carbon dioxide gas. The carbon from
these fuels enters the atmosphere and most becomes
dissolved in seawater.
• Carbon moves from the atmosphere to the oceans- The
ocean and other water bodies absorb carbon from the
atmosphere.

Explanation
of
the
carbon
cycle

Carbon gets into the atmosphere from the soil, waste
products, decomposing animals, burning sediment from
the earth and events like a volcanic eruption. Some of this
carbon goes into the ocean and some to the atmosphere.
Plants found on land and phytoplankton found in the
ocean absorb carbon during photosynthesis, thus creating
carbohydrates and sugars. When land animals and marine
life consume plants or phytoplankton, carbon is obtained
from photosynthesis. Organisms release this carbon when
they breathe, create waste products, die or decompose.
Carbon then returns to the soil and is released into the
atmosphere and some forms into rocks.

Importance
of the
carbon
cycle

◊ It is critical to the food chain-If plants and other
organisms who photosynthesize were not able to get
carbon, they would die as they could not produce food. This
would result in other organisms that depend on them for
food dying.
◊ Carbon is found in the oceans, forests and the
atmosphere known as sinks. These areas would collect
dangerous levels of carbon without the carbon cycle. This
would most likely kill living organisms that live in this area.
◊ The cycle is important as it allows carbon to flow from
areas where it is collected into other areas of the earth.

CREDIT GOES OUT TO:
* ZARIO WINT
* JOVAUNIE LEWINSON
* ODANE BRISSETT
* SHAMONE FINE