Directions: Use the information provided and your knowledge of Life Science to answer the following questions. Show all work where necessary.
Directions: Use the information provided and your knowledge of Life Science to answer the following questions. Show all work where necessary.
Diagram 1.
Source: https://www.geographyrealm.com/blue-carbon/
Coastal wetlands - such as salt marshes, tidal flats, and mangrove forests - play a powerful role in the Earth’s carbon cycle. These ecosystems act as “carbon sinks,” meaning they take in more carbon than they release. Despite covering less than 2% of Earth’s surface, wetlands store up to 30% of global soil carbon, making them one of the most efficient natural carbon-storing systems.
Mangrove trees absorb atmospheric
Wetlands also exchange carbon back to the atmosphere. Plant respiration releases
Changes in environmental conditions strongly influence this carbon cycling. Warmer temperatures increase plant growth and carbon capture, but they also increase decomposition and methane release. Rising sea levels can expand wetland area inland, increasing the total carbon burial potential. However, sea-level rise may also drown wetlands that cannot accumulate sediment quickly enough.
Human impacts also shape carbon storage. When wetlands are drained or cleared for development, the previously buried carbon is suddenly exposed to oxygen. This rapid oxidation can release large amounts of
Diagram 2.
Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/environmental-science/articles/10.3389/fenvs.2020.00008/full
Scientists quantify wetland carbon cycling using measurements such as carbon flux (movement of carbon between reservoirs), soil carbon storage, and biomass accumulation. By tracking these variables over time, researchers develop quantitative models to understand and predict how coastal systems influence the global carbon cycle.
Table 1.
Process | Carbon Flux (MtC/year) |
|---|---|
Atmospheric CO2 to Plant Photosynthesis | 520 |
Plant Respiration to Atmosphere | 410 |
Soil Carbon Burial | 180 |
Methane Release | 65 |
Tidal Export of Dissolved Carbon | 95 |
Graph of Information - Figure 1.
Table 2.
Year | Aboveground Biomass (tC/ha) | Soil Carbon Storage (tC/ha) |
|---|---|---|
1990 | 78 | 520 |
2000 | 85 | 543 |
2010 | 92 | 566 |
2020 | 101 | 590 |
2030 | 112 | 618 |
Graph of Information - Figure 2.
According to Table 1, which process represents the largest carbon flux in a coastal wetland or mangrove system?
Using Figure 1, compare the magnitude of plant respiration to the magnitude of soil carbon burial. What does this difference suggest about carbon movement in the ecosystem?
Using Diagram 2, explain how both plant processes and microbial activity contribute to carbon release back into the atmosphere or water column. Use only information provided in the diagram and text.
Make a claim about how a coastal wetland or mangrove system quantitatively cycles carbon among the atmosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere, and geosphere.
Include a clear claim, specific evidence from the tables and figures, and reasoning that links the evidence to your claim.
According to Table 2, what trend is shown for aboveground biomass from 1990 to 2030?
Using Figure 2, describe how changes in soil carbon storage over time support the idea that wetlands act as long-term carbon sinks.