Carbon enters the atmosphere as carbon dioxide from respiration and combustion
State the second stage of the carbon cycle:
Carbon dioxide is absorbed by producers to make carbohydrates in photosynthesis
State the third stage of the carbon cycle:
Animals feed on plants, passing the carbon compounds along the food chain. Most carbon they consume is exhaled as carbon dioxide during respiration. The animals and plants eventually die.
State the fourth stage of the carbon cycle:
Dead organisms are eaten by decomposers and carbon in their bodies is returned to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. The animal and plant material may then be available as fossil fuel for combustion
