Biological Stores
Photo Synthesis Role
__Photosynthesis - __
The absorption of CO2 from the atmosphere (terrestrial plants) and from oceans (marine plants) to produce organic carbon structures.
carbon dioxide + water —> glucose + oxygen + water
- Explain photosynthesis role in carbon cycle.
- absorb carbon
Respiration Role
The release of CO2 into the atmosphere, soil and oceans by animals as they exhale.
Decomposition Role
The breakdown of animals and plant structures by bacteria and the r__elease of carbon compounds__ into the atmosphere, soil and to the ocean floor.
Where oxygen is present it releases CO2, where it is absent CH4 is released.
Factors Influencing These Roles
Plankton Bloom
Given enough sunlight, CO2, and nutrients, populations of phytoplankton can __reproduce __explosively, doubling their numbers in just one day.
- massive phytoplankton bloom containing millions to billions of individual phytoplankton all drawing down atmospheric CO2 to use for photosynthesis.
Large phytoplankton blooms impact climate in two important ways:
- Higher amounts of carbon dioxide are removed from the atmosphere into the oceanic biological pump.
Removing greenhouse gas molecules from the atmosphere mitigates the warming effect of CO2 fossil fuel emissions
- Higher amounts of carbon drawn into the biological pump eventually move down into deep ocean currents and sediments.
Carbon stored in deep ocean currents is there for time scales of hundreds to thousands of years.
The carbon that makes its way to sea floor sediments is stored for time scales of millions to billions of years.
- Describe the impact of plankton blooms.
- Your answer should include: absorb carbon / ocean