Assessment: The Carbon Cycle: Lab 2 Answers are underlined
Examine the simplified picture of the carbon cycle above. The numbers represent
gigatons of carbon moving into and out of the reservoirs.
1. What process(s) removes the carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Circle all that
apply.
a.
b.
c.
d.
Photosynthesis
Respiration
Decomposition
Combustion
2.
a.
b.
c.
d.
What process(s) add carbon dioxide to the atmosphere? Circle all that apply.
Photosynthesis
Respiration
Decomposition
Combustion
3. Which of these reservoirs represent a carbon sink? Circle all that apply.
a. Fossil fuels
b. Vegetation and land
c. Oceans
Use the information in the image below to answer question 4 below.
Here is an example of feedback happening in certain parts of the Amazon rainforest
where there has been a severe drought. Some of the water that plants take up from
their roots is released to the air through tiny pores in their leaves – called stomata.
When trees experience drought, they close these tiny pores in their leaves and
release fewer water molecules to the air. Here is a diagram of the feedback loop
below:
4. The Amazon Rainforest Die-off feedback loop is an example of
a. negative (dampening) feedback loop
b. positive (amplifying) feedback loop
Explain why you chose your answer.
Short answer = the temperatures will rise even more (amplified) which will increase
drought and wildfires , tree die off, less water and rainfall – which will increase
drought and wildfires – so on and so forth – in a vicious circle.
Use the image below to Questions 5-6
The image below shows the amount of carbon stored in each of the major carbon
reservoirs. Note that the amount stored in the atmosphere represents the preindustrial amount (the amount of gigatons of carbon stored in the atmophsere
before the Industrial revolution began. )
Note:
5. Which reservoir(s) stores carbon for thousands to millions of years before the
carbon moves into another reservoir? Check all that apply.
a. Trees and other vegetation
b. Sediments and Rocks
c. Deep Ocean
d. Soil
e. Atmosphere
6. Name the processes that would move the carbon quickly from one reservoir to
another. Circle all that apply.
a. Photosynthesis
b. Respiration
c. Combustion
d. Rock formation
e. Weathering