The Carbon Sink
| Carbon occurs
in several different forms. Although atmospheric carbon dioxide is the immediate source of
carbon for terrestrial organisms, only a small part of the Earth's carbon is in the
atmosphere. However, most of the carbon does not occur as a gas, but rather is dissolved
in water (in lakes, rivers and oceans), found as minerals in rocks, and as complex
molecules in plants and animals. This non-gaseous carbon represents the Carbon
Sink, because it 'removes' carbon from the atmosphere. Plant communities store large amounts of atmospheric carbon in their biomass (trunks, stems, branches, leaves, roots). Increased levels of atmospheric carbon. |
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