Carbon lab simulation answers

ENV325 Lab Reporting Form

Resource needed:

Annenberg Learner. (n.d.). Carbon lab [Interactive lab]. In The Habitable Planet. Retrieved from http://learner.org/courses/envsci/interactives/carbon/

Assignment: Carbon Dioxide Lab

Table 1

Step 1

Gaseous Carbon

Ocean Water

Fossil Fuels

Biosphere Gaseous Carbon

To Year

Atmosphere

Ocean Surface

Deep Ocean

Oil and Gas

Coal

Soil

Terrestrial Plants

2010

720 (391 ppm)

1000

38000

500

3500

2000

700

2050

2100

*The first row has been completed for you to ensure that you are on the right track.

1. If only one half of the terrestrial plants in the world existed in 2100 due to deforestation, what do you predict will happen to the atmospheric carbon levels? Why would you predict this?

Answer =

2. In your simulation, carbon levels between 2010 and 2100 are increasing in most of the pools. Which pool(s) show a decline in carbon over this period and why?

Answer =

3. What is the relationship between an increase in fossil fuel consumption and increased carbon in terrestrial plants? How might this change flora populations?

Answer =

4. What is the relationship between an increase in atmospheric carbon concentration and increased carbon in the ocean surface? How might this change marine life populations?

Answer =

Table 2

Step 2

Gaseous Carbon

Ocean Water

Biosphere Gaseous Carbon

To Year

Atmosphere

Ocean Surface

Deep Ocean

Soil

Terrestrial Plants

2010

2050

2100

5. Without any fossil fuel consumption, which parts of the cycle have improved their carbon levels in comparison to previous data and how might these improvements alter the environment?

Answer =

Table 3

Step 3

Biosphere Gaseous Carbon

To Year

Net Deforestation Rate

Soil

Terrestrial Plants

2010

1.6 GT

2060

1.6 GT

2080

1.6 GT

2100

1.6 GT

6. By 2100, how has the terrestrial flora population changed? What affect might this change have on the environment?

Answer =

7. What is the carbon level in the soil at 2100 and how does the carbon level affect the flora populations and species variety?

Answer =

Table 4

Step 4

Tundra

Gaseous Carbon

Ocean Water

Fossil Fuels

Biosphere Gaseous Carbon

To Year

Melt

Rate

Atmosphere

Ocean Surface

Deep Ocean

Oil and Gas

Coal

Soil

Terrestrial Plants

2010

1/6

2050

1/6

2100

1/6

8. How has the melting of 1/6 of the tundra had an impact on the atmospheric carbon concentration at 2100 in comparison to that found in Table 1? Based on these values, is a melting tundra a positive or negative feedback for global climate change?

Answer =

REFERENCES

List any sources that you utilized to answer the questions in proper APA format.

Annenberg Learner. (n.d.). Carbon lab [Interactive lab]. In The Habitable Planet. Retrieved from http://learner.org/courses/envsci/interactives/carbon/

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