Carbon Cycle
By: Kenny Thomson 10/3/13
What is the carbon cycle?
Carbon is "cycled" among Earth's oceans, atmosphere, ecosystem, and geosphere. All living organisms are built of carbon compounds. It is the fundamental building block of life and an important component of many chemical processes. Plants receive water (H2O), carbon dioxide (CO2) and sunlight through the process of photosynthesis. Thanks to photosynthesis humans breath in oxygen and exhale CO2, and plants take in the CO2 and produce oxygen.
Carbon Cycle
If the carbon cycle is disrupted by human activity in an ecosystem, how does this disruption affect the organisms in the ecosystem?
Carbon is one of the most common elements on Earth and it is the basis of all living things. The carbon cycle is in danger of being disrupted by the increased burning of fossil fuels, and the destruction of large areas of tropical forests. The rising levels of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere are probably increasing the temperature on Earth (enhanced greenhouse effect). It is thought that by limiting the production of carbon dioxide through human activities we can slow the rate at which temperatures on Earth will rise. The forests getting cut down and the heat increasing affects animals environment and can kill them because they have no where to live.
If the carbon cycle is disrupted by human activity in the ecosystem where you live, how does this disruption affect you?
It can create pollution and that can affect your body by getting in your lungs and affecting you. The green house effect effects everyone on earth by increasing the temperature which can melt stuff and cause flooding. So disrupting the carbon cycle can effect everyone even if it's not that serious now, later on in a few years the green house gas affect will be very serious and can harm the earth.
What problems arise as a result of human of human activity disrupting the carbon cycle?
If there were an interruption in the carbon cycle, life on Earth as we know it would be in danger of being disrupted.The burning of fossil fuels by human affects the carbon cycle because burning of fossil fuel will release large amounts of extra carbon into the atmosphere causing the carbon dioxide rate to increase; Which eventually will create an enhanced greenhouse effect, leading to global warming. Carbon dioxide is also being released by intensive deforestation in certain areas of the globe, mostly in the tropics, as forests are cleared for chiefly agricultural purposes. When trees are cut and burned and the land put under the plow, the carbon stored in the forests and in the underlying soils is released to the atmosphere. These are problems because they all affect us in someway.
What actions would you recommend to a concerned citizen, to bring awareness to the problems, find solutions to the problems, or actively work to reverse the effects of the problems?
If you're a concerned citizen and you want to do something to help, try to get people to stop cutting down rain forests, so carbon isn't released into the atmosphere. Also try to stop burning fossil fuels and try to go green, if you don't want pollution, use a bike or a electric car to get around instead of burning gas.