Question

Humans can have a dramatic effect on the carbon cycle. Please explain how the impact of clearing trees and burning the debris can have a far greater effect on the carbon cycle than just the carbon released from burning.

Answer 1

Human activities indeed have a dramatic effect on the carbon cycle.

In the carbon cycle, carbon dioxide generated from various activities is taken up by the photosynthetic organisms and converted to organic molecules. These organic molecules then enter the food chain and are converted back to carbon dioxide. The rate of exchange of carbon between autotrophs and the rest of the carbon releasing sources was balanced by a large number of trees present (Plants take up more carbon dioxide than other photosynthetic organisms). However, in the past years, the rate of generation of carbon dioxide has gone up way beyond imagination due to human activities. Activities such as the burning of fossil fuels, in power plants and vehicles, generate huge amounts of carbon dioxide and this could have been balanced by the trees but the clearing of forests, deforestation has reduced the number of trees that could have helped in taking this carbon dioxide generated. So, the burning of debris releases a huge amount of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and this cannot be balanced due to clearing up of trees thereby increasing pollution (more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere) and dramatically affecting the carbon cycle.