Carbon Transfer at a Plant Scale
- Carbon stores can be thought of as a natural reservoir of carbon before the transfer
- Every carbon store can be a carbon source and a carbon sink
- Earth's carbon stores change constantly (they are dynamic) over time depending on location, time and scale
- Carbon transfer occurs at a plant, or sere level such as the lithosere
Plant scale carbon cycling shown through a tree
- A tree's wood acts as a carbon store
- Wood is approximately 50% carbon
- Carbon is transferred between the atmosphere, the biosphere and pedosphere through the processes of:
- Photosynthesis by the tree which removes CO2 directly from the atmosphere
- Respiration by the tree and microbes in the soil, returns carbon to the atmosphere as CO2
- Decomposition of leaf litter or death of the tree, also returns carbon to the atmosphere or soil
- Combustion due to wildfires releasing large amounts of stored carbon in the tree