Carbon Cycling, Photosynthesis/Respiration, and Biomes:Carbon’s Role in Global Climate Change

Global Climate Change Education: Biology Module

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Carbon CyclingCarbon Cycling

Carbon Cycling and Global Climate ChangeCarbon Cycling and Global Climate ChangeMajor Concepts:1) Carbon

- 4th most common element on Earth - THE building block of life

2) Carbon cycles among biotic and abiotic reservoirs - sources and sinks - different timescales of movement (hours to millions of years)

3) Atmospheric carbon in the form of CO2 - increasing rapidly - now at exceptionally high concentrations - high concentration adds to the Earth’s natural greenhouse effect - affects global climate

5) We can reduce the rate and magnitude of CO2 increase in the atmosphere and address global climate change.

4) Primary source of increasing atmospheric CO2

- human activity

First a bit about carbonFirst a bit about carbon

• Fourth most common element on Fourth most common element on Earth (H, He, O, C)Earth (H, He, O, C)

First a bit about carbonFirst a bit about carbon• Carbon’s atomic structure allows it to bind to Carbon’s atomic structure allows it to bind to

up to four other elements at onceup to four other elements at once• This makes carbon very important for living This makes carbon very important for living

thingsthings

First a bit about carbonFirst a bit about carbon

• Carbon is THE building block of Carbon is THE building block of lifelife

First a bit about carbonFirst a bit about carbon

• Where is carbon found?Where is carbon found?• Where does it go?Where does it go?

First a bit about carbonFirst a bit about carbon

That is what you will discover in That is what you will discover in today’s activity!today’s activity!

Carbon CyclingCarbon Cycling

• AtmosphereAtmosphere-gases -gases surrounding our surrounding our planetplanet

• BiosphereBiosphere-all the -all the living things on our living things on our planetplanet

• HydrosphereHydrosphere-all of -all of the salt and fresh the salt and fresh water on our planetwater on our planet

• LithosphereLithosphere-all the -all the rocks and minerals rocks and minerals on our planeton our planet

Carbon CyclingCarbon Cycling

Air (Atmosphere)

Water (Hydrosphere)

Land (Lithosphere)

Organisms (Biosphere)

Source and SinkSource and Sink• SourceSource-an area where -an area where

carbon is easily carbon is easily removedremoved

• SinkSink-an area where -an area where carbon is not easily carbon is not easily removed and therefore removed and therefore can build up over timecan build up over time

Source and SinkSource and Sink• In the carbon cycle atoms In the carbon cycle atoms

move to and from these move to and from these source and sink areas all the source and sink areas all the timetime

• Movement can happen at Movement can happen at very different time scales-very different time scales-from hours to millions of from hours to millions of yearsyears

How can carbon “move”?How can carbon “move”?

• DiffusionDiffusion• PhotosynthesisPhotosynthesis• RespirationRespiration• CombustionCombustion• SedimentationSedimentation• Erosion Erosion

How can carbon “move”?How can carbon “move”?

• DiffusionDiffusion--process process by which by which molecules move molecules move from an area of from an area of high concentration high concentration to an area of low to an area of low concentrationconcentration

How can carbon “move”?How can carbon “move”?

• PhotosynthesisPhotosynthesis--production production of sugar (Cof sugar (C66HH1212OO66) from ) from

solar energy, COsolar energy, CO22 and and

water by plants and other water by plants and other photosynthetic organismsphotosynthetic organisms

How can carbon “move”?How can carbon “move”?

• RespirationRespiration--the the metabolism of sugars metabolism of sugars (C(C66HH1212OO66) to produce ) to produce chemical energy for chemical energy for growth and reproductiongrowth and reproduction

• One of the major One of the major byproducts is CObyproducts is CO22 gas gas

• All living things respire, All living things respire, both plants and animalsboth plants and animals

How can carbon “move”?How can carbon “move”?

• CombustionCombustion--carbon carbon locked in living and locked in living and dead organic matter dead organic matter under proper under proper conditions of heat and conditions of heat and oxygen rapidly oxidize oxygen rapidly oxidize or burnor burn

• This releases energy in This releases energy in the form of heat and the form of heat and produces gases such as produces gases such as carbon monoxide carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon (CO) and carbon dioxide (COdioxide (CO22))

How can carbon “move”?How can carbon “move”?

• SedimentationSedimentation--slow slow accumulation accumulation of material in of material in one place. one place. Over long Over long periods of time periods of time this material this material can solidify can solidify and form rockand form rock

How carbon can “move”?How carbon can “move”?

• Fossil fuels can be considered a special type of Fossil fuels can be considered a special type of sedimentationsedimentation

How can carbon “move”?How can carbon “move”?

• ErosionErosion- - the process by the process by which particles of soil which particles of soil are washed into water. are washed into water.

• This term is also used to This term is also used to describe the breakdown describe the breakdown of harder materials such of harder materials such as rock due to the action as rock due to the action of waterof water

Why is carbon cycling important?Why is carbon cycling important?• For the last 1000 years For the last 1000 years

the carbon cycle has the carbon cycle has been in balancebeen in balance

• In the last 100 years In the last 100 years carbon dioxide in the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has been atmosphere has been risingrising

• Carbon dioxide Carbon dioxide concentrations in the concentrations in the atmosphere are higher atmosphere are higher now than in the last 20 now than in the last 20 million yearsmillion years

Greenland Ice Greenland Ice core datacore data

Graph by Robert Simmon, based on data from the NOAA Graph by Robert Simmon, based on data from the NOAA Climate Monitoring & Diagnostics Laboratory

Why is carbon cycling important?Why is carbon cycling important?• For the last 1000 years For the last 1000 years

the carbon cycle has the carbon cycle has been in balancebeen in balance

• In the last 100 years In the last 100 years carbon dioxide in the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has been atmosphere has been risingrising

• Carbon dioxide Carbon dioxide concentrations in the concentrations in the atmosphere are higher atmosphere are higher now than in the last 20 now than in the last 20 million yearsmillion years

Ice core dataIce core data

Graph by Robert Simmon, based on data from the NOAA Graph by Robert Simmon, based on data from the NOAA Climate Monitoring & Diagnostics Laboratory

Carbon and global climate changeCarbon and global climate change

•COCO22 is a greenhouse is a greenhouse

gas which help keep the gas which help keep the planet warmplanet warm•Too much COToo much CO22 may may

lead to global warming.lead to global warming.•Why?Why?

Carbon and global climate changeCarbon and global climate change

• COCO22 is the most is the most

significant greenhouse significant greenhouse gas. gas.

• Levels of COLevels of CO22 are are

increasingincreasing

• Why?Why?

Why more COWhy more CO22??

•The human The human population has population has grown grown tremendously in tremendously in the last 200 yearsthe last 200 years

•All those people All those people need and use need and use energyenergy

Why more COWhy more CO22??

• In the late 1800’s In the late 1800’s (1850-1870) The (1850-1870) The industrial industrial revolution revolution occurredoccurred

Why more COWhy more CO22??

•Most of that Most of that energy energy comes from comes from fossil fuels…fossil fuels…a carbon sinka carbon sink

Why more COWhy more CO22??

•Most of that Most of that energy energy comes from comes from fossil fuels…fossil fuels…a carbon sinka carbon sink

Other human impactsOther human impacts

• Remember that plants Remember that plants and other photosynthetic and other photosynthetic organisms are important organisms are important for removing CO2 from for removing CO2 from the atmosphere.the atmosphere.

• Slash and burn Slash and burn agriculture and agriculture and urbanization are urbanization are reducing the amount of reducing the amount of carbon that can be carbon that can be removedremoved

Human impactsHuman impacts

• As humans As humans clear more land clear more land and burn more and burn more fossil fuels we fossil fuels we dramatically dramatically increase the increase the amount of COamount of CO22

going into the going into the atmosphereatmosphere

What can we do?What can we do?• Some questions remain unanswered about the Some questions remain unanswered about the

carbon cycle. carbon cycle. • We do know that humans have produced a We do know that humans have produced a

large amount of COlarge amount of CO22 and other greenhouse and other greenhouse

gases in the atmosphere based many different gases in the atmosphere based many different types of data types of data

• Production of COProduction of CO22 continues to this date, but continues to this date, but

it is something that we can controlit is something that we can control

Energy UseEnergy Use

• Reduce fossil fuel useReduce fossil fuel use• Non-fossil fuel energy sourcesNon-fossil fuel energy sources

• SolarSolar• WindWind• HydroelectricHydroelectric• HydrogenHydrogen• BiofuelsBiofuels• NuclearNuclear• GeothermalGeothermal

Carbon MitigationCarbon Mitigation

• Carbon sequestrationCarbon sequestration• Forestry-carbon bound up in forest Forestry-carbon bound up in forest

productsproducts• Agriculture-no tillAgriculture-no till

• COCO22 injection-coal seams and saline injection-coal seams and saline

aquifersaquifers• BiocharBiochar

Carbon Cycling and Global Climate ChangeCarbon Cycling and Global Climate ChangeMajor Concepts & Summary:1) Carbon

- 4th most common element on Earth - THE building block of life

2) Carbon cycles among biotic and abiotic reservoirs

- Sources and sinks atmosphere biosphere

hydrosphere lithosphere

- Different timescales of movement (hours to millions of years) diffusion photosynthesis respiration combustion sedimentation erosion

3) Atmospheric carbon in the form of CO2 - increasing rapidly

100 years - now at exceptionally high concentrations

higher than last 20 million years - high concentration adds to the Earth’s natural greenhouse effect - affects global climate

5) We can reduce the rate and magnitude of CO2 increase in the atmosphere and address global climate change.

reduce fossil fuel use through conservation and efficiency use non-fossil fuel energy sources carbon sequestration

4) Primary source of increasing atmospheric CO2

- human activity burning of fossil fuels releases carbon from lithosphere

Carbon Cycling and Global Climate ChangeCarbon Cycling and Global Climate ChangeMajor Concepts & Summary: