Carbon Happens
Don't let the term carbon cycle bring back bad memories of high-school science classes; there's no quiz. It's simply a term for the merry-go-round of changes that this element undergoes in the atmosphere, in plants, and in the soil.
1. In the air, carbon is a gas. Carbon dioxide (CO2) gets a bad rap as a greenhouse gas, but it's a normal product of respiration from animals, including humans. We inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. Plants do the reverse as they photosynthesize: They take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen.
2. Without carbon dioxide, plants not only can't photosynthesize; they can't even stand up. The process of turning sunlight into food occurs within a plant's leaves, where carbon dioxide and water change into oxygen, glucose, and fructose. These form chains of starch and cellulose. Cellulose is a vital component of cell walls, so plants don't stay upright without it.
3. When plants die, the flora and fauna of the soil (such as bacteria, fungi, and larger scavengers like millipedes) break down the carbon in the dead plants, using some of it for food. During this process, the decomposing plants release carbon dioxide and nutrients, which growing plants take up. Essentially, the dead parts of your garden feed the living parts.
4. As gases naturally diffuse in and out of the soil, it gently "breathes," releasing air with a high percentage of carbon dioxide and taking in air with a higher concentration of oxygen. Plants above the soil reuse the carbon dioxide, grow, and bear fruit. In this way, the carbon cycle is completed.
Glossary
Carbon. An abundant nonmetallic element (atomic number 6) that is present in many inorganic compounds and in all organic ones.
Carbon cycle. The combined processes, including photosynthesis, decomposition, and respiration, by which carbon atoms move in a cycle involving the atmosphere, oceans, and living organisms.
Carbon sequestering. The processes by which carbon dioxide is removed from the atmosphere and, through photosynthesis, turned into plant material, then stored in the soil as organic matter.
Greenhouse gas. A gas, such as carbon dioxide (CO2), that traps heat in the atmosphere by absorbing radiation.
Methane. CH4, a greenhouse gas that is produced through anaerobic decomposition of waste, animal digestion, and industrial processes.
Organic matter. The remains, residues, or waste products of any living organism.
Photosynthesis. The manufacture of sugar by plants through the action of sunlight.
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