Carbon Cycle




BIO326 : Ecosystem : Nutrients : Carbon Cycle

Exercise: Carbon Cycle

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DUE: 28-Apr-2000. Work sent after this date will receive a grade of zero.

Carbon is one of the important elements in nutrient cycles. Not only are its chemical conversions critical to the food chains of organisms, but its physical properties are crucial to the temperature balance of the earth.

1. What are the two carbon gases which are most important for global warming? How do they contribute to the greenhouse effect (see also Chapter 27)?

2. Using the carbon fluxes in this diagram of the carbon cycle, determine the net annual atmospheric gain in carbon. What are the appropriate units for the gain?

3. Using this gain and the size of the atmospheric carbon compartment, determine the percentage annual increase in atmospheric carbon. At this rate, how many years would it take to increase atmospheric carbon by another 50%?

4. What is the justification for concluding that the discrepancy (find the link for "missing sink") in the carbon budget is represented by an increase in carbon accumulation in terrestrial ecosystems? What is the magnitude of the discrepancy?

5. How many metric tons of carbon has the US Forest Service concluded are present in the forest ecosystems of the United States? What are the locations of this carbon in the ecosystem? Based on this amount, how much carbon do you estimate occurs in all the forests on the planet? How does this carbon estimate compare with the value in the carbon cycle diagram you used in question 2?

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