In three to five sentences, describe how the diagram of Earth’s carbon cycle demonstrates the interactions among the biosphere (plants), the lithosphere (ground), the atmosphere (air), and the hydrosphere (water). Atmosphere Unit Test
The diagram of Earth’s carbon cycle shows how carbon moves through these four spheres. Plants in the biosphere (terrestrial and marine) take in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through photosynthesis. This carbon is then stored in the plants’ tissues. When the plants die and decompose, carbon is released back into the atmosphere or into the soil in the lithosphere. The hydrosphere is involved as well, as carbon dioxide dissolves into bodies of water and is used by aquatic plants for photosynthesis. This diagram illustrates the interconnectedness of these spheres and how carbon is continually cycled through them.
