Carbon is the fourth most abundant element on Earth and is a major component of all organic compounds. In fact, carbon is such a key ingredient of living tissue and the ecosystems that life on Earth is often described as “carbon-based life.”

Carbon can be found in the following four main reservoirs:

1. Biosphere (plants and animals)
2. Atmosphere
3. Water (oceans, rivers, lakes, etc.)
4. Rocks, shells, and fossil fuels

How carbon moves between the areas is known as the carbon cycle. The carbon cycle is an example of a biogeochemical cycle.

Watch this video to learn more about the carbon cycle.

Let’s see what you have learned. Label the Carbon Cycle Diagram. Click on the correct question mark to match the descriptions on the image map.

Take out a piece of paper and explain how the pictures below have altered the carbon cycle.

Interactive popup. Assistance may be required. Check Your Answer When trees are cut down, they are no longer able to remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. As trees decay or are burned, they release the carbon stored inside them into the atmosphere.	Interactive popup. Assistance may be required. Check Your Answer When fossil fuel is burned in factories or by driving cars, more carbon is released into the atmosphere.