CARBON CYCLE
CARBON CYCLE
Sources of Carbon
Carbon is a very important element found in
every living things (human beings, plants
and animals) on the surface of the earth.
Apart from living things, carbon is also
found in various food nutrients such as
carbohydrates, proteins, fats and oil and
also exists in the earth's atmosphere which
we normally called carbon dioxide gas (CO2).
CARBON CYCLE
What is carbon cycle?
Carbon cycle is the organic circulation of carbon
from the atmosphere into organisms and back
again, or
It is a complex series of processes through
which all of the carbon atoms in existence
circulates in the environment, or
It shows how carbon rotates or circulates
between living and dead organisms and the
atmosphere.
CARBON CYCLE
Types of Carbon Cycle
• Terrestrial carbon cycle(those that occur on
land)
• Aquatic carbon cycle(those that occur in water)
.
CARBON CYCLE
Carbon cycle that occurs on land is called
terrestrial carbon cycle. With the terrestrial
carbon cycle, carbon moves through the
ecosystem on the land.
Carbon cycle that occurs in water bodies (sea,
lakes, and rivers etc) is called aquatic carbon
cycle.
CARBON CYCLE
Carbon cycle that occurs on land is called
terrestrial carbon cycle. With the terrestrial
carbon cycle, carbon moves through the
ecosystem on the land.
Carbon cycle that occurs in water bodies (sea,
lakes, and rivers etc) is called aquatic carbon
cycle.
CARBON CYCLE
Stages and Processes involved in the Carbon
Cycle
1. Photosynthesis
2. Respiration
3. Decomposition /decay
4. Combustion (burning)
CARBON CYCLE
Photosynthesis(This is the first stage in the cycle)
Photosynthesis is the process by which green
plants prepare their own food using carbon
dioxide from the atmosphere, water and mineral
salts from the soil and energy from the sun.
CARBON CYCLE
In this stage of carbon cycle, plants remove
carbon from the atmosphere by using the energy
from the sun to convert carbon dioxide into
carbon compounds (glucose).
The carbon compounds in plants are transferred
to animals when the animals eat the plants. In
the process, oxygen gas is released.
The overall photosynthesis reaction is:
carbon dioxide + water + sunlight -> glucose +
oxygen.
CARBON CYCLE
Respiration(the second stage in the carbon cycle)
Respiration is the process by which energy is
obtained from food in the body of living
organisms with or without the use of oxygen.
The oxygen gas produced during photosynthesis
is used by plants and animals to break down the
food to release energy for metabolic activities.
In the process, plants and animals released
carbon atom back into the atmosphere in a form
of carbon dioxide gas and the energy remaining
is used to build tissues. The overall reaction of
respiration is:
C6Hl206+ 602 -*¦ 6C02 + H20 + energy
CARBON CYCLE
Decomposition /decay: (third stage of the
process)
Decomposition is the breakdown of dead organic
matter by micro-organisms found in the soil.
The organisms that break down (decompose) the
dead organic matter are known as decomposers.
When animals and plants die and decayed or
decomposed (rot), the carbon atoms which are
stored in their body are released back into the
soil which serves as nutrients in the soil which
may be used to grow new plants or small micro-
organisms in both terrestrial and aquatic habitats.
CARBON CYCLE
Combustion (burning): (final stage )
Combustion or burning occurs when fuel reacts
with oxygen to produce energy usually heat,
carbon dioxide and water.
When animals and plants die in the soil, some
decay or get rotten in the soil immediately whilst
some still remains, accumulate and get locked
up in the soil.
As they get locked up in the soil for years or
decades, they form what we call fossil fuel (coal,
petrol, and natural gases).When these fossil fuels
are mined and burnt in the industries or in the
environment, they contain carbon atoms which
CARBON CYCLE
Importance of the carbon cycle
1. Through the carbon cycle, atmospheric carbon
dioxide is made available to plants to
manufacture their own food for animals
through a process called photosynthesis.
2. Through the carbon cycle, oxygen is released
which is needed by living organisms for
reproduction.
3. The surface of the earth would have been too
cold to live on if there were not to be presence
of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.Because
carbon dioxide serves as blanket over the
planet earth which traps some of the sun's
CARBON CYCLE
Ways by which the carbon cycle is disrupted
Today as a result of indiscriminate human
activities, the rate at which carbon dioxide is
released into the atmosphere is more than the
rate at which it is being absorbed from the
atmosphere.
As a result, the carbon cycle has been greatly
disrupted causing global warming on the surface
of the earth as a whole.
Below are some human activities that have
disrupted the carbon cycle.
CARBON CYCLE
Ways by which the carbon cycle is disrupted
Indiscriminate cutting down of trees
(deforestation): The forest as we all know play a
very important role in our environment. Forest
absorbs carbon dioxide being produced into the
environment. In other words, forest serves as
carbon sink.
As a result of human activities such as mining,
farming, construction of roads, most trees have
been felled down without replacing them. As a
result, only some few trees are left behind to
absorb small percentage of the carbon dioxide
produced which is not sufficient.
CARBON CYCLE
Ways by which the carbon cycle is disrupted
Industrialization/Excessive release of carbon (IV)
oxide from industries such as VALCO, Tema steel,
Tema oil refinery and exhaust fumes from cars
into the atmosphere is disrupting the carbon
cycle which needs to be checked.
Pollution: Introduction of dangerous chemicals
onto the land and in water bodies kill a lot of
living organisms increasing the rate of
decomposition of dead organic matter.
This dead organic matter (dead plants and
animals) releases more carbon dioxide into the
atmosphere and as result disrupting the carbon
CARBON CYCLE
Effects of disruption of the carbon cycle on the
environment.
The disruption of carbon cycle results in the
following:
1. Green house effect or global warming.
2. Increase in carbon dioxide concentration in
the atmosphere.
3. Depletion of the ozone layer.
CARBON CYCLE
Effects of disruption of the carbon cycle on the
environment.
The disruption of carbon cycle results in the
following:
1. Green house effect or global warming.
2. Increase in carbon dioxide concentration in
the atmosphere.
3. Depletion of the ozone layer.
CARBON CYCLE
What is green house effect and global warming?
Carbon dioxide as we all know is a green house
gas. There are other natural green house gases
such as methane, ozone and water vapour.
These gases are very important to the survival of
man and other living things on the surface of the
earth.
Because they serve as heat trapping gases or act
as insulators (substances that does not allow
heat to pass through them) around the earth and
prevent infrared radiation escaping from the
surface of the earth and in the process keep the
CARBON CYCLE
Without them the earth would be a frozen world.
However, too much of these gases can cause a
build up for the average temperature of the
earth’s surface to rise and as a result making the
surface of the earth become gradually warmer.
The term used to describe the gradual warming
of the atmosphere caused by increase in the
amount of some gases in the air is what we
called green house effect.
CARBON CYCLE
Global warming
Global warming refers to the increase in the
temperature of the atmosphere surrounding the
earth surface caused by increases in green
house effect.
CARBON CYCLE
Causes of global warming
1. Bush fires: Bush fires which results in the burning
down of trees and vegetation releases high amount
of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane into the
atmosphere.
2. Industrialization (burning of coal, oil) results in the
production of high amount of carbon dioxide into the
atmosphere.
3. Deforestation: It reduces amount of carbon dioxide in
the atmosphere.
4. Use of CFC's (chlorofluoro carbons) gases in
refrigerators, air condition system and in the
production of plastic foams also destroys the ozone
layer.
CARBON CYCLE
Damaging effects of global warming.
1. Increase in the incidence of bush fires.
2. Rise in sea level which leads to flooding of low
lying and coastal areas.
3. Reduction in atmospheric humidity and soil
moisture leading to poor and low agricultural
production.
4. Melting of icebergs.
5. Increase in atmospheric temperatures.
CARBON CYCLE
Ways of maintaining the carbon cycle
1. Reforestation: Replanting of trees to replace
those that have been felled down.
2. Afforestation: Planting more trees which
would absorb carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere.
3. The use of renewable sources of energy other
than fossil fuels.
4. Planting of cover plants on bare soils.
5. Avoid indiscriminate cutting down of trees
(Deforestation).
6. Preventing the environment from being
CARBON CYCLE
Ways of maintaining the carbon cycle
1. Reforestation: Replanting of trees to replace
those that have been felled down.
2. Afforestation: Planting more trees which
would absorb carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere.
3. The use of renewable sources of energy other
than fossil fuels.
4. Planting of cover plants on bare soils.
5. Avoid indiscriminate cutting down of trees
(Deforestation).
6. Preventing the environment from being
