TOPICS

1. What is Carbon Cycle?

2. Steps
3. Diagram
- 3. 1 Land Carbon Cycle
- 3. 2 Oceanic Carbon Cycle
4. Importance
- How are humans affecting the carbon cycle?
- Effects of disrupting the carbon cycle
5. Key Points

REFERENCES:
- https://byjus.com/biology/carbon-cycle/
- https://www.slideshare.net/RinaldoJohn/carbon-cycle-245241802
- https://scied.ucar.edu/learning-zone/earth-system/biogeochemical-cycles
- https://bio.libretexts.org/Courses/Gettysburg_College/02%3A_Principles_of_Ecology_-_
Gettysburg_College_ES_211/12%3A_Ecosystem_Ecology/12.03%3A_Biogeochemical_
Cycles/12.3.03%3A__The_Carbon_Cycle
- https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/carbon-cycle.html#transcript
- https://www.crownoil.co.uk/news/what-is-the-carbon-cycle-why-is-it-so-important/#:~:text
=The%20carbon%20cycle%20refers%20to,the%20Earth%20would%20be%20frozen.
- https://www.noaa.gov/education/resource-collections/climate/carbon-cycle#:~:text=Chan
ges%20to%20the%20carbon%20cycle,of%20carbon%20into%20the%20atmosphere.
- https://qknowbooks.gitbooks.io/jhs_2_science-cycles/content/disruption_of_carbon_cycl
e.html

What is Carbon Cycle?

- Carbon cycle refers to the process in which carbon atoms are exchanged between the
atmosphere, oceans, and even the earth's crust. It involves various processes such as
photosynthesis, respiration, decomposition, and combustion. Carbon cycle also refers to
the carbon as the backbone of all life on earth. Carbon Cycle acts as a natural process
that allows carbon to be continuously recycled and reused by various living organisms
and ecosystems.

Steps

The carbon cycle is the process by which carbon atoms are exchanged between Earth's
atmosphere, oceans, land, and living organisms. It is an essential part of life on Earth, and it
plays a role in climate change.

The following are the main steps in the carbon cycle:

● Photosynthesis: Plants take in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and use it to
produce energy in the form of glucose. This process is called photosynthesis.

● Cellular respiration: Animals and plants take in glucose and use it to produce
energy. This process is called cellular respiration. Carbon dioxide is released as a
waste product of cellular respiration.

● Decomposition: When plants and animals die, their bodies decompose. This
process releases carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere.
● Combustion: Burning fossil fuels releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
Fossil fuels are formed from the remains of plants and animals that died millions of
years ago.

● Dissolution: Carbon dioxide dissolves in the oceans. This process helps to regulate
the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.

● Weathering: Rocks and minerals that contain carbon are weathered over time. This
process releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
 ● Sedimentation: The remains of plants and animals that die in the oceans settle to
the bottom of the ocean. Over time, these remains become buried and turned into
rock. This process removes carbon from the atmosphere and stores it in the Earth's
crust.

The carbon cycle is a complex process that is influenced by many factors, including climate
change, human activities, and natural disasters. Understanding the carbon cycle is
important for understanding climate change and for developing strategies to mitigate its
effects.
 Diagram

Land Carbon Cycle

Methane and carbon dioxide make up the majority of the carbon in the earth's atmosphere.
Since both of these gasses are greenhouse gasses, which absorb and hold heat to warm the
planet's atmosphere, they both significantly contribute to global warming. The natural carbon
cycle mechanism gradually removes both carbon dioxide and methane from the atmosphere.
Carbohydrates are created during photosynthesis when CO2 and H2O combine. And the
Equation is: CO2 + H2O + energy → (CH2O)n +O2

The terrestrial and oceanic biospheres absorb the majority of carbon dioxide through
photosynthesis conducted by various animals within them such as plants in the terrestrial
biosphere and cyanobacteria and algae in the oceanic biosphere. Some carbon dioxide and
other carbon compounds fall to the ground along with the rain. Thus, the carbon cycle is the
most severely impacted element of the global carbon cycle as a result of human activity,
primarily in the form of carbon dioxide.

Oceanic Carbon Cycle

Similar to a carbon cycle, but occurring in the sea, is the ocean carbon cycle. In terms of
ecology, oceans take up more carbon than they release. Because marine animals convert
carbon to carbonate, which is needed to create the building blocks for hard shells like those
seen in clams and oysters, it is known as a "carbon sink."

Only the hard shells remain when carbonate-shelled organisms die because their bodies
dissolve. These accumulate on the seafloor, where they are finally crushed under intense
pressure by the waves and turned into limestone. The carbon in these limestone rocks weathers
and releases carbon dioxide into the atmosphere when it is exposed to air.

Importance

By definition the Carbon Cycle is a type of Biochemical cycle that focuses on how Carbon is
being transferred to different Carbon Reservoirs on the Earth, which helps us have a stable
climate and maintain a carbon balance on our planet.

Carbon has been one of the basis of life here on our planet. A lot of things emit and absorb
carbon that are produced by human activities and nature itself as an important part of plant and
animal life.

Some of its benefits are:

It regulates Earth's temperature.
● It makes all living life possible.
● It is a Key element in the food that sustains us.
● It's a key source of the energy that fuels our economy.
Though it is helpful it can also trap heat in our atmosphere due to Carbon substances and
greenhouse gasses.

How are humans affecting the Carbon cycle?

Since Carbon is known to be one of the main sources of energy in life and in our economy some
may use it to too much advantage that results in contributing gasses of heat being trapped in
the atmosphere.

A significant portion of the carbon cycle is caused by human activity, such as land development
and the burning of fossil fuels. Because of this, the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide
is increasing quickly and is currently far higher than it has been for the previous 3.6 million
years. Significant volumes of carbon dioxide are discharged back into the environment when
people burn these fuels for energy. The planet's ecosystems are thrown off balance, global
temperatures rise, and ocean acidification results from this extra carbon dioxide.

Effects of Disrupting the Carbon Cycles

Humanity has progressed with the use of energy through deforestation, burning of fossil fuels
and pollution that due to rapid adaptation towards life, large amounts of carbon dioxide is
released in the atmosphere. This causes a change in our environment due to excessive carbon
dioxide emission that forms gasses that keeps the earth warm, this is called Greenhouse
Gases. The effects of this change could cause an:
- increase in global temperature,
- acidification of the ocean and
- disrupting the plants ecosystem.
 Key Points

● Carbon is the backbone of all life on earth

● Carbon cycles help to contribute to the balance of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere,
which is crucial for the survival of life on the planet.
● Carbon Dioxide helps to regulate the Earth's temperature by trapping heat from the sun
in the atmosphere.
● Carbon Cycle regulates nutrition availability for plants and animals or other living things
affecting ecosystems and biodiversity.