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THE CARBON
CYCLE
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THE BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLE

 A biogeochemical cycle is the pathway by which a chemical

substance cycles the biotic and the abiotic compartments of Earth.
The biotic compartment is the biosphere and the abiotic
compartments are the atmosphere, hydrosphere and lithosphere.

 Types of biogeochemical cycles:

 Biogeochemical cycles are basically divided into two

types: Gaseous cycles – Includes Carbon, Oxygen, Nitrogen, and
the Water cycle. Sedimentary cycles – Includes Sulphur,
Phosphorus etc.
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THE IMPORTANCE OF THE CYCLE

Why Biogeochemical Cycles Are Important ?

 Biogeochemical cycles help explain how the planet conserves matter

and uses energy. The cycles move elements through ecosystems, so the
transformation of things can happen. They are also important because
they store elements and recycle them. Moreover, biogeochemical cycles
can show you the connection among all living and nonliving things on
Earth.
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THE ROLE OF CARBON IN CARBON
DIOXIDE

 Carbon is an essential element on the living things. Carbon is

also a part of oceans, the atmosphere and even rocks in the
earth. Carbon serves two main functions in lives of organism: it
is a structural component of organic molecules and ut is an
important element in chemical energy storage.
 z THE CARBON
CYCLE
The series of processes by which carbon
compounds are interconverted in the environment,
involving the incorporation of carbon dioxide into
living tissue by photosynthesis and its return to
the atmosphere through respiration, the decay of
dead organisms, and the burning of fossil fuels

The carbon cycle is the biogeochemical cycle by

which carbon is exchanged among the biosphere,
pedosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, and
atmosphere of the Earth. Carbon is the main
component of biological compounds as well as a
major component of many minerals such as
limestone.
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CHEMICAL EQUATION

 That reaction is: CH2O+ O2 → CO2 + H2O+ energy, which is

effectively the reverse of photosynthesis. Through respiration,
plants (and animals) release water and carbon dioxide.
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STEPS
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 The element carbon is a part of seawater, the atmosphere, rocks such as limestone and
coal, soils, as well as all living things. On our dynamic planet, carbon is able to move
from one of these realms to another as a part of the carbon cycle.

• Carbon moves from the atmosphere to plants. In the atmosphere, carbon is attached to
oxygen in a gas called carbon dioxide (CO2). Through the process of photosynthesis,
carbon dioxide is pulled from the air to produce food made from carbon for plant growth.

• Carbon moves from plants to animals. Through food chains, the carbon that is in plants
moves to the animals that eat them. Animals that eat other animals get the carbon from
their food too.

• Carbon moves from plants and animals to soils. When plants and animals die, their
bodies, wood and leaves decays bringing the carbon into the ground. Some is buried and
will become fossil fuels in millions and millions of years.
z • Carbon moves from living things to the atmosphere. Each time you
exhale, you are releasing carbon dioxide gas (CO 2) into the atmosphere.
Animals and plants need to get rid of carbon dioxide gas through a
process called respiration.

• Carbon moves from fossil fuels to the atmosphere when fuels are burned.
When humans burn fossil fuels to power factories, power plants, cars and
trucks, most of the carbon quickly enters the atmosphere as carbon
dioxide gas. Each year, five and a half billion tons of carbon is released
by burning fossil fuels. Of this massive amount, 3.3 billion tons stays in
the atmosphere. Most of the remainder becomes dissolved in seawater.

• Carbon moves from the atmosphere to the oceans. The oceans, and other
bodies of water, absorb some carbon from the atmosphere. The carbon is
dissolved into the water.
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CON’T

• Carbon enters the atmosphere as CO2.

• CO2 is absorbed by autotrophs such as green plants.

• Animals consume plants, thereby, incorporating carbon into their

system.

• Animals and plants die, their bodies decompose and carbon is

reabsorbed back into the atmosphere
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HOW HUMAN INFLUENCE ON THE
CARBON CYCLE ?
 Human activities have a tremendous impact on the carbon cycle. Burning fossil
fuels, changing land use, and using limestone to make concrete all transfer
significant quantities of carbon into the atmosphere. As a result, the amount of
carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is rapidly rising; it is already greater than at
any time in the last 3.6 million years. The ocean absorbs much of the carbon
dioxide that is released from burning fossil fuels. This extra carbon dioxide is
lowering the ocean’s pH, through a process called ocean acidification. Ocean
acidification interferes with the ability of marine organisms (including corals, 
Dungeness crabs, and snails) to build their shells and skeletons.
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 Changes to the carbon cycle

 Human activities have a tremendous impact on the carbon

cycle. Burning fossil fuels, changing land use, and using
limestone to make concrete all transfer significant quantities of
carbon into the atmosphere.
z  1. In the carbon cycle, producers take in the gas

 A) carbon dioxide

 B) oxygen

 C) nitrogen

 D) carbon monoxide

 2. How do living organism return carbon to the atmosphere in the

carbon cycle

 Respiration and photosynthesis or Decomposition and respiration

  3. Which one of these dose not add CO2 to the atmosphere?
z  A) cooking with gas

 B) planting trees

 C) burning wood

 D) riding in a bus

 4. According to most scientist, activities like fossil fuel burning and deforestation have affected the
global carbon cycle

 True or false

 5. photosynthesis is the process by which plants

 A) release CO2 to the atmosphere

 B) turn CO2 into sugars

 C)turns sugars into energy

 D) none of the above

  6. A biogeochemical cycle is the pathway by which a chemical
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substance cycles the biotic and the abiotic. True /false

 7. which is an gaseous cycle

 A) nitrogen

 B) carbon

 C) rocky

 D) phosphorus

 8.Crbon dioxide move from fossil fuels in to the atmosphere,

true or false
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 9. Green plants do not absorb CO2, true or false

 10. what is the main element of the carbon cycle

 A) photosynthesis

 B) fossil fuel

 C) carbon

 D) carbon dioxide