AP BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Carbon dioxide is added to the atmosphere by the respiration of plants and animals, by the burning of fossil fuels, and by dead remains of plants and animals.

Detailed explanation-2: -Carbon dioxide is added to the atmosphere naturally when organisms respire or decompose (decay), carbonate rocks are weathered, forest fires occur, and volcanoes erupt. Carbon dioxide is also added to the atmosphere through human activities, such as the burning of fossil fuels and forests and the production of cement.

Detailed explanation-3: -Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere warms the planet, causing climate change. Human activities have raised the atmosphere’s carbon dioxide content by 50% in less than 200 years.

Detailed explanation-4: -Carbon dioxide is an important greenhouse gas that helps to trap heat in our atmosphere. Without it, our planet would be inhospitably cold. However, an increase in CO2 concentrations in our atmosphere is causing average global temperatures to rise, disrupting other aspects of Earth’s climate.