Atmospheric Ecosystem
・A tree can grow to have a mass of several tones but at one time was a seed with a mass of only a few grams.
・Plants make their carbohydrates(simple sugars) during the process of photosynthesis.
・This process can be summarized by the following equation:
6CO2+6H2O+energy→C6H12O6+6O6
・It is one atage of the carbon cycle.
・Plants take carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere and with the help of energy from the sun combine it with the atmosphere and with the carbohy drates (C6H12O6) releasing oxgen(6O2as a byproduct.
・Some of the carbon in the carbohydrates is later used by the plants to build other carbon-containing compounds such as fats and proteins.
・When consumers eat the plants, the carbon compounds are broken down and reforned into animal tissues.
・In this way carbon moves through the foodchain.
・Quite a great deal of the carbon in a food chain will end up being released during the process of cellular respiration.
・This can be thought of as the reverse of photosynthesis.
C6H12O6+6O6→6CO2+6H2O+energy
・Remember that producers, carry out photosybthesis, but all organisms including producers, carry out cellular respiration.
・Lots of carbon will remain in the tissves only to be released after the death of the organism by the deconposers(becteria and fungi) who will release the carbon during sellular respiration.
・Some carbon will be released in liquid and solid wasters.

Aquatic Ecosystems
・The world's oceans and lakes hold over 50 times as much carbon dioxideas the atomocphere does.
・Carbon dioxide readilx dissoives at the surface of the water to form carbonis acia, which water plants use as their source of carbon.
・A slightly simaler amount comes out of solution at the surface mater and returns to the atmosphere.
・This difference is due to the number of sea creatures that have shells which have calcium carbonate(combination of carbon, calcium and oxgen) as a chief ingredient.
・The shells from sedimentary rocks and may return the carbon millions of years later.