Carbon Cycle Summary

Flashcards covering key concepts related to the carbon cycle, ecosystem services, and human impacts on the natural balance.

What is the total amount of carbon on Earth?

The total amount of carbon on Earth stays the same.

How do humans disrupt the natural carbon cycle?

Humans disrupt the carbon cycle through activities such as fossil fuel combustion and deforestation.

What role do ecosystems play in climate regulation?

Ecosystems regulate carbon levels through processes like photosynthesis and decomposition.

What is photosynthesis in the context of the carbon cycle?

Photosynthesis is the process where plants take CO₂ from the atmosphere and turn it into sugars, storing carbon in biomass.

What is the opposite process of photosynthesis?

Respiration is the process that releases CO₂ back into the atmosphere when living things break down sugars for energy.

What are carbon sinks?

Carbon sinks are natural systems that absorb more carbon than they release, such as forests and oceans.

What are carbon sources?

Carbon sources are processes that emit more carbon than they absorb, such as decomposition and fossil fuel combustion.

How do rising emissions affect mature forests?

Rising emissions of CO₂ and nitrogen compounds are making mature forests net carbon sinks.

What happens during decomposition in terms of carbon?

During decomposition, carbon is released back into the atmosphere as dead organic matter breaks down.