Question

Connecting the Concepts: Carbon Cycling and Human Activities

Answer 1

Carbon cycle is a natural process that maintains the movement of carbon between the atmosphere, lithosphere, hydropshere and biosphere. Human activities cause the removal of carbon from the natural oil and coal deposits and adding it directly to the atmosphere. The main human activities that impact the carbon cycle are as follows:

Burning of fossil fuels: Burning of coal, oil, natural gas removes the carbon from the fossil fuels and adds it directly to the atmosphere.

Deforestration: Removal of trees leads to increase in the atmospheric carbon dioxide because carbon dioxide is not being taken up by trees during photosynthesis.

Cement production: The production of cement results in the release of large amount of carbon dioxide.

As a result of increase in the atmospheric carbon dioxide and methane, there is an increase in the atmospheric temperature.. The rise in air temperature leads to decompostion of soil, which releases more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.