However/Therefore

• The main carbon store on land is biomass, which includes all living organisms (plants, animals etc.)
• Carbon can be transferred between these two pools by decomposition or photosynthesis.
• Soil organic matter makes up most of the remaining carbon stored on land.
• Both soil organic matter and biomass are dynamic stores - they change over time as plants grow and die, and microbes break down dead plant material to release CO2 back into the atmosphere.
• This means that there could be less carbon stored in terrestrial ecosystems if global warming continues at its current rate.
• However, some scientists believe that increasing levels of atmospheric CO2 may stimulate growth in plants, leading to an overall increase in carbon storage.
• However, this uptake has slowed in recent years due to deforestation and other changes to land use.
• If we continue to burn fossil fuels at our current rate, it's likely that the amount of carbon absorbed will not keep pace with the amount being released.
• Ocean acidification occurs when oceans absorb excess CO2 from the atmosphere, making them more acidic.
• As more CO2 is added to the atmosphere, the ocean becomes more acidic, which can have negative impacts on marine life such as coral reefs.
• Amount of carbon stored in the atmosphere can/is increasing due to humans burning fossil fuels and deforestation, which causes negative environmental impacts
• Carbon store inputs; respiration, decomposition, combustion
• Carbon Store outputs; photosynthesis and carbon sequestration
• Decomposition - dead plant material breaks down over time by microorganisms like fungi and bacteria. As these organisms break down the plant material, they release CO2 back into the air
• Combustion - this happens when we burn fossil fuels or wood. When something is burned it produces lots of heat but also releases large amounts of CO2 into the air
• Positive feedback: A feedback loop that amplifies a change in a system.
• Negative Feedback: A system that responds to a change in the environment by returning the system to its original state
• Positive feedback of Carbon stores: increased CO2 in atmosphere increases rate of photosynthesis
• Negative feedback of Carbon stores: More photosynthesis means more carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere
• Positive feedback of Carbon stores: Increased temperature leads to faster decomposition rates