How long carbon remains in stages of the cycle

Carbon can be stored in a variety of reservoirs, including plants and animals, which is why they are considered carbon life forms. Carbon is used by plants to build leaves and stems, which are then digested by animals and used for cellular growth. In the atmosphere , carbon is stored in the form of gases, such as carbon dioxide.

It is also stored in oceans, captured by many types of marine organisms. Some organisms, such as clams or coral, use the carbon to form shells and skeletons.

Most of the carbon on the planet is contained within rocks, minerals, and other sediment buried beneath the surface of the planet. Because Earth is a closed system, the amount of carbon on the planet never changes. However, the amount of carbon in a specific reservoir can change over time as carbon moves from one reservoir to another. For example, some carbon in the atmosphere might be captured by plants to make food during photosynthesis.

This carbon can then be ingested and stored in animals that eat the plants. When the animals die, they decompose, and their remains become sediment, trapping the stored carbon in layers that eventually turn into rock or minerals. Some of this sediment might form fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, or natural gas, which release carbon back into the atmosphere when the fuel is burned.

The carbon cycle is vital to life on Earth. Nature tends to keep carbon levels balanced, meaning that the amount of carbon naturally released from reservoirs is equal to the amount that is naturally absorbed by reservoirs. Maintaining this carbon balance allows the planet to remain hospitable for life. Scientists believe that humans have upset this balance by burning fossil fuels, which has added more carbon to the atmosphere than usual and led to climate change and global warming.

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The carbon cycle is easiest to understand in terms of its processes and how carbon is converted. The three key processes and the conversions are shown in the table below. The carbon cycle Carbon is an essential element for life on Earth. Combustion burning.