Deforestation – 101 continued…

The Carbon Cycle…

Continuing on from our deforestation – 101 class, here at ConfusedbytheWorld we are moving onwards and upwards to the Carbon cycle and its role within the environment.

Carbon, Carbon everywhere

So what’s it all about and why is everyone continually banging on about it. A large proportion of information about CO2 on the net relates to its effect on global warming and how this can potentially effect world-wide climate change and global poverty. But why is it so important? How does Carbon and the Carbon cycle interact with the world and its environment?

Well obviously let’s start with the basics… Carbon is one of primary building blocks of life and the fourth most abundant element found in the universe (so far…). Carbon molecules are present in all known life-forms and Carbon can be found in various different forms such as CO2, CO (Carbon monoxide) and several different solid forms such as diamond and graphite.

Carbon Dioxide is essential for the maintenance of life. The world’s Eco-systems and environment depend upon the continual recycling of CO2 and Oxygen. Chemically CO2 and O2 are separated by just one molecule of Carbon. Fundamentally the whole thing is about the organic production of energy. Most multi-celled organisms rely upon respiration for the creation of ATP. ATP is essentially a chemical energy compound which provides cells with the power to metabolise.

The production of ATP relies on a process which oxidizes 2 Carbon atoms into one molecule of CO2. During respiration CO2 is created as a by-product of ATP formation. Similarly O2 is created as a by-product of photosynthesis. Plants require CO2 to photosynthesize and during this process H2O is transformed into O2. You get the general gist I’m sure. Essentially we need plants for the continued production of Oxygen and plants need CO2 so that they can produce energy through the process of photosynthesis.

The Cycle of life…

So clearly Carbon and Oxygen are extremely important. Without these elements, life on this planet would cease to function. The Carbon cycle represents a visual aid showing how CO2 is continual recycled through various processes.

There are 4 key elements to the Carbon cycle, they are;

1 – The atmosphere.
2 – The oceans.
3 – The soil.
4 – Plants and trees.

The Carbon Cycle...

As you can see from the diagram CO2 predominantly resides within these 4 spheres of influence. CO2 is one of the four main gases that make up our atmosphere. CO2 also dissolves in water creating HCO3 making the world’s rivers and oceans vast CO2 sinks and depositories. Once in the water HCO3 encounters numerous chemical processes which can involve the creation of limestone and various other sediments and compounds. These sediments over time can be compounded into fossil fuels and various other organic substances which once again retain CO2 within the soil. Through this dissolving process CO2 also enters the soil which again provides the earth with a large CO2 depository. A large proportion of CO2 also resides within decaying matter such as leaf-litter which can be found in the soil. Plants, trees and various other forms of flora also require CO2 for the creation of energy through the process of photosynthesis.

So a great proportion of the Earth’s CO2 is absorbed by organisms, the soil, the atmosphere and the oceans, through a variety of natural chemical processes. However, it’s not only important that CO2 is absorbed, but it’s also important that CO2 gets produced otherwise plants would not be able to photosynthesis. Once absorbed CO2 can be expelled or created through a number of both natural and manmade processes. Respiration, forest fires and decomposition release large amounts of CO2 back into the atmosphere. Many production processes like those used in the fossil fuel energy industry create vast amounts of CO2 in the form of pollution.

It is this kind of CO2 production that worries most people as it is unnatural and a potential threat which could destabilise the entire cycle. If the Carbon cycle was to be disrupted its effect upon the Earth’s environment and humanities continuing existence could be catastrophic.
Coming up – The Ozone Layer & Global Warming…

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