Carbon Cycle

The carbon cycle is nature's way of reusing carbon atoms, which travel from the

atmosphere into organisms in the Earth and then back into the atmosphere over and

over again. Most carbon is stored in rocks and sediments, while the rest is stored in the

ocean, atmosphere, and living organisms.

Carbon is the foundation of all life on Earth, required to form complex molecules like

proteins and DNA. This element is also found in our atmosphere in the form of carbon

dioxide (CO2). Carbon helps to regulate the Earth’s temperature, makes all life possible, is a

key ingredient in the food that sustains us, and provides a major source of the energy to fuel

our global economy.

The carbon cycle consists of two parts,

1. Those that occur on land called terrestrial carbon cycle.

2. Those that occur in water called aquatic carbon cycle.

The terrestrial carbon cycle is concerned with the movement of carbon through

terrestrial ecosystem while aquatic carbon cycle is concerned with the movement of

carbon through the aquatic ecosystem.

Stages involved in the carbon cycle.

1. Photosynthesis

2. Respiration

3. Decomposition

4. Combustion
 1. Photosynthesis

Plants pull in carbon dioxide out of the air through photosynthesis. Even though carbon

dioxide makes up less than 1% of the atmosphere, it plays a major role for living things.

With CO2 and H2O in the atmosphere, photosynthesis produces sugars like glucose. This is

the plant material that plants synthesize on their own.

If you have the right conditions, this process can repeat for centuries. Not only does

photosynthesis pulls carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere, but it’s fuels all living things as a

source of energy.
2. Decomposition

By mostly using sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide, plants can grow. In turn, animals

consume food for energy using O2 and giving off CO2. Alternatively, they die, decay, and

decompose repeating for millions of years.

Decomposition is the process of breaking down plants. Over vast periods of time, layers of

sediment build on each other. Because of the pressure and heat from within the Earth’s crust,

this generates fossil fuels. Much of this happened during the Carboniferous Era.

For example, coal, oil, and natural gas (methane) are some of the common fossil fuels. Over

the long-term, the decomposition of dead matter generates these fossil fuel products.

Anaerobic decomposition involves bacteria breaking down organic matter such as glucose

into CO2 and methane (CH4). The nutrient cycle recycles inorganic and organic material in

soil through the process of decomposition. Then, it goes back again through the same process

again.
. Respiration

You and I are both made of carbon. We consume plants. But we also breathe in the air, which

has carbon in the form of carbon dioxide.

Animals rely on plants for food, energy, and oxygen. Our cells require oxygen to break down

the food we consume through cellular respiration.

Once consumed, carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere because of cell respiration. In

turn, this CO2 produced from respiring cells can be used in photosynthesis again.

In other words, the plants use solar energy to break apart that same carbon dioxide in the air.

Through photosynthesis, it uses that same carbon for plant material in turn releasing oxygen

again.
 Combustion

Our cars use the energy released by burning fossil fuels. And carbon is also a pollutant as

carbon dioxide.

We extract fossil fuels, combustion involves burning them to release energy. But a by-

product of combustion is that it releases carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere. And too

much CO2 increases the greenhouse effect.

Because we deplete our oil reserves adding CO 2 into the air daily, it affects the carbon cycle

with an imbalance of oxygen and carbon. Carbon dioxide is one of the greenhouse gases

contributing to climate change.

But there is a limit to how much fossil fuels we can extract. Over millions of years,

phytoplankton resting on the ocean surface photosynthesizes and takes in CO2.

Using sunlight, it creates a molecule called glucose (C 6H12O6) and sinks to bottom of the

ocean. Humans discovered these fossil fuels beneath the ocean. We started to drill the ancient

plankton, which over millions of years ago, became the oil we use today.
Long-term carbon cycle summary

Today, you’ve learned how carbon cycles from the atmosphere and then into plants and

living things. But the distinction between the short-term carbon cycle is that this cycle takes

millions of years to come full circle.

Instead of carbon converting into sugars, carbon is re-purposed into fossil fuels like coal.

When plants are buried and compacted over millions of years, they become hydrocarbons.

When you drive your gas-powered car, you tap into Earth’s carbon reserves deposited

hundreds of million years ago. These fossil fuels are released into the air as carbon dioxide

and water vapour.

It may stay in the atmosphere for a while, but eventually, plants consume it during

photosynthesis. So that same weight from the tank of gasoline gets converted into wood or

plant material by photosynthesis.

Importance of carbon cycle

The carbon cycle is vital to life on Earth. Nature tends to keep carbon levels balanced,

meaning that the amount of carbon naturally released from reservoirs is equal to the amount

that is naturally absorbed by reservoirs. Maintaining this carbon balance allows the planet to

remain hospitable for life.

Ways the carbon cycle is being disrupted

1. Excessive release of carbon (iv) oxide through pollution of the environment, killing

living organisms.

2. Destruction of the forest or deforestation

3. The burning of fossil fuels

Ways of Maintaining the Carbon Cycle

The carbon cycle must be maintained through:

1. Afforestation: Replanting of trees to replace those felled

2. The use of less fossil fuels.

3. Prevention of pollution

4. The use of renewable sources of energy such as Solar energy

JOSHUA ARTHUR