How is Carbon Cycled in the Environment?
Carbon is an element that is present in all living things. It is cycled through the various different processes, some of which are involved in the fast carbon cycle, such as precicpitation, and others which are part of the slow carbon cycle. The fast cycle circulates carbon most rapidly between the atmosphere, oceans, biosphere and soils, which 1000 times faster than the slow cycle, which can store carbon for up to millions of years. Photosynthesis is a fast cycle of carbon, and is the main flux of carbon from the atmosphere to land plants. The process of photosynthesis involves plant fixing CO 2 from the atmosphere and converting light energy from the Sun into chemical energy. If animals and organisms feed on the plants, the carbon contained within the plant is passed onto them. Once these organisms die, they are broken down by decomposers such as bacteria, and the carbon stored in their bodies is released back into the environment as CO 2 . This is part of the fast carbon cycle, as