This document explains the carbon cycle with simple diagrams and labels. It shows how carbon dioxide flows through nature, from photosynthesis in plants to respiration in animals, and how it moves through the soil, fossil fuels, and the ocean.
This document is a short visual explainer of the carbon cycle, aimed at students or anyone curious about how carbon moves through the environment. It uses simple diagrams and labels to show the main flows of carbon dioxide in nature.
The first part covers the living parts of the cycle: plants take in CO2 through photosynthesis, while animals release it through respiration. It also shows how eating plants transfers carbon from plants to animals.
The next section looks at the ground and underground. It shows how decomposition and fossil fuels like coal, oil, and fuel release carbon, and how these processes connect to the atmosphere.
The final part focuses on the ocean. It follows carbon from phytoplankton through small and large animals, and down as marine snow, where it stays out of the atmosphere for over 100 years.