Forest carbon is emitted slowly through the decay of dead biomass or rapidly through combustion during wildfires. In this exercise, students will explore the carbon cycle and be able to identify carbon sources, sinks, and release agents. It may be surprising, but forests in the United States store nearly 30 percent of the carbon in America's coal, oil, and natural gas reserves.Įmissions: Carbon emissions into the atmosphere are dominated by fossil fuel combustion for electricity and transportation. Fossil fuel reserves are storing carbon removed from the atmosphere by plants millions of years ago. Photosynthesis and cellular respiration are important components of the carbon cycle, in which carbon is exchanged among the biosphere, atmosphere, oceans, and. Over time, this carbon is transferred to forest products, dead wood, and soils. Stocks: Forest carbon is stored in live trees, understory vegetation, and roots. Changing rates of wildfire and land conversion could put this valuable benefit at risk. Forest carbon emissions in the United States are small compared to sequestration rates so forests are net accumulators of carbon. The carbon cycle is the biogeochemical cycle by which carbon is exchanged among the biosphere, pedosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere of the. They move around different stations, filling out a passport. As the first main activity, have students play the carbon cycle game, taking on the role of a carbon atom.

Start off with the starter slide, using some simple questions to probe prior knowledge. Sequestration: Carbon is removed from the atmosphere (sequestered) by forest ecosystems through photosynthesis, the process where living plants convert light into stored sugars from carbon dioxide and water. Use this lesson plan with your 1114 students to engage them with the carbon cycle. May alter drought and fire frequency, and forestĬonversion to other land uses may reduce the amount Thisĭynamic is expected to continue, but climate change Percent of annual fossil fuel carbon emissions. The global carbon cycle model describes the evolution of the mass of carbon in the mantle, Cm, in the combined reservoir consisting of ocean and atmosphere. US, this net sequestration offsets approximately 15 Annual forest sequestration currently exceedsĮmissions from decay and fire combined. Known as sequestering) it as trees grow and returningĬarbon dioxide to the atmosphere as they decay orīurn. FOREST CARBON STOCKS AND FLUXES WITH THE ATMOSPHERE.ĭioxide in the atmosphere, removing (otherwise