AP Environmental Science Unit 1.4: The Carbon Cycle

Vocabulary

==Overview==

  • Biogeochemical Cycles: Cycles of elements as they move through living and nonliving factors.
  • Reservoirs: Places where elements are stored for part of the time.
  • Pathways: Processes that move the elements between the reservoirs.
  • Biomass: Renewable energy that comes from organic matter/organisms.

==Carbon Cycle==

  • Organic Compounds: Compounds that have carbon-carbon or carbon-hydrogen bonds.
  • Photosynthesis: The process by which plants use sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to create oxygen and energy in the form of sugar.
  • Cellular Respiration: The process of breakdown of food in cells and organisms with the release of energy.
  • Combustion: Occurs when any organic material is reacted (burned) in the presence of oxygen to give off the products of carbon dioxide, water, and energy.
  • Anaerobic Decomposition: Decomposition without the use of oxygen.
  • Fossil Fuel Formation: Dead organic matter builds up underground faster than it can be anaerobically decomposed, and sediment pressurizes it.
  • Diffusion: Molecules moving from an area of higher concentration to one of lower concentration.
  • Shell Formation: To build shells, marine life extracts calcium and carbonate ions from ocean water, combining them to make shells.
  • Deposition: The laying down of sediment carried by wind, flowing water, the sea or ice.

The Carbon Cycle

==Reservoirs==

  • Atmosphere: The layers of gases surrounding a planet or other celestial body.   * Contains CarbonDioxideCarbon Dioxide (CO2) and MethaneMethane (CH4 - converts to CO2 and H2O through exposure to Ozone).
  • Biosphere: The part of Earth’s surface where life exists.   * Contains consumers, biomass, and organicmoleculesorganic molecules (ex: Glucose [C6H12O6]).
  • Lithosphere: The solid, outer part of Earth, including the brittle upper portion of the mantle and the crust.   * Contains fossilfuelsfossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas) and LimestoneLimestone (CaCO3).
  • Hydrosphere: All the waters on the Earth’s surface.   * Contains CO2 and CarbonateCarbonate (CO3^-2).
  • Ocean Biosphere: The part of the Ocean where life exists.   * Contains organisms, biomass, organicmoleculesorganic molecules (ex: Glucose [C6H12O6]), and CalciumCarbonate.Calcium Carbonate.

==Pathways==

 

  • Atmosphere to Biosphere   * Photosynthesis     * Carbon Dioxide (CO2) → Plants

 

  • Biosphere to Atmosphere   * Cellular Respiration     * Consumers → Carbon Dioxide (CO2)   * Combustion     * Organic Material → Carbon Dioxide (CO2)   * Anaerobic Decomposition     * Organic Material → Methane (CH4)

   

  Biosphere to Lithosphere   * Fossil Fuel Formation     * Dead organic matter → Lithosphere   * Soil Absorption     * Carbon stored in dead plants’ roots → Lithosphere

   

  Lithosphere to Atmosphere   * Combustion of Fossil Fuels     * Fossil Fuels → Atmosphere   * Volcanic Eruptions     * Lithosphere → Atmosphere

Atmosphere to Hydrosphere

  • Diffusion   * Carbon Dioxide (CO2) → CO2
  • Precipitation   * Carbon Dioxide (CO2) → Mixes with water (H2O) in the air → Carbonic Acid (H2CO3)

 

  • Hydrosphere to Ocean Biosphere   * Photosynthesis     * Carbon Dioxide (CO2)→ Plants   * Shell Formation     * Carbonate (CO3-2) → Mixes with Calcium (Ca+2) in the water → Calcium Carbonate (CaCO3)

 

  • Ocean Biosphere to Lithosphere   * Deposition of Organic Matter     * Biomass → Fossil Fuels   * Deposition of Shells     * Shells (containing Calcium Carbonate) →Limestone

 

==Human Disruption==

  • Deforestation   * Fewer trees/plants mean less photosynthesis and glucose.     * More carbon in the air.       * More carbon in the air makes more carbonic acid and more acid rain.       * More carbon in the air = more heat: globalwarming.global warming.
  • Combustion of Fossil Fuels   * Used to take millions of years to release fossil fuels into the Atmosphere.   * Humans are burning it and quickly transferring it to the atmosphere.     * Traps a lot of heat: globalwarmingglobal warming.

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