1. Carbon Cycle

2. What is the Carbon Cycle? In the carbon cycle, carbon is transferred from inside the Earth to the atmosphere, oceans, crust, and to living things Every molecule of Carbon has always been on this planet since the beginning of time.

3. Carbon All living things are made of carbon. Carbon is part of the ocean, air, and rocks In the atmosphere, carbon is attached to some oxygen in a gas called CO 2

4. Plants use Carbon Plants use CO 2 and sunlight to make their own food and grow Photosynthesis Carbon Sinks Carbon becomes part of the plant

6. Photosynthesis During the carbon cycle, plants take in CO 2, remove the carbon atom in order to build a molecule of sugar, and release oxygen.

7. Creating Fossil Fuels When the plants die, carbon is returned back to soil Over millions of years, layers of dead plants form fossil fuels Carbon in the dead plants forms coal

8. Original Source of Energy In the oil…..

9. Burning Fossil Fuels Humans burn fossil fuels for energy Burning fossil fuels releases Carbon back into the atmosphere

10. Burning other Organic Material Burning wood or any other natural material increases the amount of carbon released back into the atmosphere….. Smoke…….what is it made out of?

11. Breathing Animals release carbon back into the atmosphere by breathing out CO 2 Animals also give carbon back by decomposition

12. Greenhouse Gases Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas and traps heat in the atmosphere. Without these gases, Earth would be a frozen world However, too much gases = TOO WARM!

13. Why is there EXTRA CO 2 ? When we burn fossil fuels, TOO MUCH carbon dioxide is put into the atmosphere This causes GLOBAL WARMING –The gradual increase in the temperature of the Earth’s atmosphere

14. Destroying the Rainforest What happens when we destroy our forests? Increase in the amount of CO 2 in the atmosphere Decrease in the amount of oxygen production

15. TAKS Question Which human activity most likely contributed to the rapid increase in atmospheric carbon dioxide? –A. The extinction of animal species –B. The destruction of natural wetlands –C. The planting of additional farm crops –D. The burning of fossil fuels

16. What would likely happen if a change in climate caused a large percentage of the world’s plants to die? –A. Fossil fuels would form at a slower rate –B. Combustion (burning) of organic materials would occur at a slower rate –C. The level of CO 2 would increase rapidly –D. Organisms would produce oxygen as a waste product