AP BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Using fewer fossil fuels could help restore equilibrium to the carbon cycle. What does “equilibrium” mean? Balance. How does carbon become locked inside the earth? The carbon-rich bodies of plants and animals decay into the earth after they die.

Detailed explanation-2: -If all sources are equal to all sinks, the carbon cycle can be said to be in equilibrium (or in balance) and there is no change in the size of the pools over time. Maintaining a steady amount of CO2 in the atmosphere helps maintain stable average temperatures at the global scale.

Detailed explanation-3: -Burning fossil fuels, changing land use, and using limestone to make concrete all transfer significant quantities of carbon into the atmosphere. As a result, the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is rapidly rising; it is already greater than at any time in the last 3.6 million years.

Detailed explanation-4: -Humans have a huge effect on the carbon cycle when we burn wood, fossil fuels (such as oil, coal, and natural gas), and other forms of carbon. This action releases the stored carbon into the atmosphere, where it becomes a greenhouse gas. Greenhouse gases are gases in the atmosphere that absorb and release heat.

Detailed explanation-5: -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.