Download Biomimicry - Strategic Energy Innovations.

Grade: 9-12
Version 1
June 2016
Biomimicry:
Engineering Inspired by Nature
Investigate biological
systems and design
nature-inspired
solutions to address
changing environmental
conditions
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Biomimicry
Table of Contents
Curriculum Introduction ............................................................................................................. 5!
Setting the Stage .......................................................................................................................................................... 5!
Activities .......................................................................................................................................................................... 5!
Assignments .................................................................................................................................................................... 6!
Handouts ......................................................................................................................................................................... 6!
Extensions ....................................................................................................................................................................... 6!
Academic Content Standards ..................................................................................................... 7!
Materials List ........................................................................................................................... 12!
Biomimicry Pre & Post-Test ...................................................................................................... 16!
Biomimicry Pre & Post-Test Answer Key ................................................................................. 18!
Lesson 1: Human Impacts on Earth ......................................................................................... 20!
Key Words .................................................................................................................................................................. 20!
Preparations ............................................................................................................................................................... 21!
Setting The Stage: Overview of Biomimicry Design Challenge ........................................................................ 22!
Demonstration ............................................................................................................................................................. 22!
Setting the Stage: Atmospheric Composition ........................................................................................................ 23!
Discussion ..................................................................................................................................................................... 23!
Setting the Stage: The Greenhouse Effect ............................................................................................................ 24!
Assessment ................................................................................................................................................................... 25!
Assignment ................................................................................................................................................................... 25!
Setting the Stage: Carbon Cycle ............................................................................................................................ 25!
Activity 1: Carbon Movement Through Reservoirs ............................................................................................... 28!
Discussion ..................................................................................................................................................................... 28!
Optional Activity: Carbon Footprinting ................................................................................................................. 29!
Activity 2: Carbon’s Journey .................................................................................................................................... 30!
Assessment ................................................................................................................................................................... 31!
Assignment ................................................................................................................................................................... 31!
Activity 2: Carbon’s Journey Continued ................................................................................................................ 31!
Discussion: Climate change Causes, Consequences, & Opportunities .............................................................. 31!
Activity 3: Historic Climate Trends .......................................................................................................................... 33!
Assessment ................................................................................................................................................................... 34!
Optional Assignment: The Global Carbon Budget .............................................................................................. 34!
Overview of the Biomimicry Project ....................................................................................................................... 35!
Greenhouse Effect Experiment ................................................................................................................................ 39!
Carbon Movement Through Reservoirs .................................................................................................................. 41!
Measuring Your Carbon Footprint .......................................................................................................................... 42!
Handout: Carbon’s Journey ..................................................................................................................................... 44!
Carbon’s Journey: Teacher Key .............................................................................................................................. 47!
Global Carbon Budget ............................................................................................................................................. 48!
Lesson 2: Consequences of Climate Change ........................................................................... 49!
Key Words .................................................................................................................................................................. 49!
Preparations ............................................................................................................................................................... 50!
Setting the Stage: Climate Change Impacts ......................................................................................................... 51!
Activity 1: Strength of the Evidence ....................................................................................................................... 55!
Assessment ................................................................................................................................................................... 56!
Assignment ................................................................................................................................................................... 57!
Optional Setting the Stage: Temperature and Coral Bleaching ...................................................................... 57!
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Biomimicry
Optional Activity: Modeling..................................................................................................................................... 58!
Optional Activity: Albedo Analysis ........................................................................................................................ 58!
Assessment ................................................................................................................................................................... 59!
Setting the Stage: Mitigation & Adaptation ........................................................................................................ 59!
Discussion: Mitigation and Adaptation................................................................................................................... 60!
Activity 2: Adaptive Housing Challenge ............................................................................................................... 60!
Assessment ................................................................................................................................................................... 62!
Assignment ................................................................................................................................................................... 63!
Strength of the Evidence Graphs ............................................................................................................................ 64!
Strength of the Evidence Data Organizer ............................................................................................................ 69!
Climate and Ice .......................................................................................................................................................... 71!
Ice Mapping ................................................................................................................................................................ 72!
Surface Temperatures ............................................................................................................................................... 73!
Ocean Temperatures ................................................................................................................................................ 74!
Albedo Analysis ......................................................................................................................................................... 75!
Adaptive Housing Challenge ................................................................................................................................... 77!
Lesson 3: Surviving Changing Conditions ............................................................................... 79!
Key Words .................................................................................................................................................................. 79!
Preparations ............................................................................................................................................................... 80!
Setting the Stage: Earth’s History ........................................................................................................................... 80!
Activity 1: Earth’s Eras Timeline ............................................................................................................................... 82!
Discussion ..................................................................................................................................................................... 83!
Assessment ................................................................................................................................................................... 83!
Assignment ................................................................................................................................................................... 83!
Setting the Stage: Species Adaptation ................................................................................................................. 83!
Activity 2: Species Investigation .............................................................................................................................. 87!
Assessment ................................................................................................................................................................... 87!
Assignment ................................................................................................................................................................... 88!
Setting the Stage: Humans and the Environment ................................................................................................. 88!
Discussion ..................................................................................................................................................................... 88!
Assignment ................................................................................................................................................................... 89!
Activity 3: The Human Time Scale ........................................................................................................................... 89!
The Sixth Extinction .................................................................................................................................................... 90!
The Sixth Extinction: Teacher Key............................................................................................................................ 91!
Exploring the World Around Us .............................................................................................................................. 92!
Lesson 4: Biomimicry............................................................................................................... 93!
Key Words .................................................................................................................................................................. 93!
Preparations ............................................................................................................................................................... 94!
Setting the Stage: Biomimicry .................................................................................................................................. 95!
Discussion: Biomimicry ................................................................................................................................................ 96!
Activity 1: Samara Seed .......................................................................................................................................... 96!
Assessment ................................................................................................................................................................... 97!
Assignment ................................................................................................................................................................... 97!
Activity 2: Engineering Solutions Using Biomimicry .............................................................................................. 97!
Assessment ................................................................................................................................................................... 98!
Assignment ................................................................................................................................................................... 98!
Setting the Stage: Design Process .......................................................................................................................... 99!
Activity 3: Solutions Inspired By Nature .............................................................................................................. 100!
Assessment ................................................................................................................................................................. 100!
Setting the Stage: Biomimicry Design Capstone Overview ............................................................................. 100!
Optional Extension: Biomimicry Global Design Challenge .............................................................................. 101!
Activity 4: Biomimicry Design Capstone Project ................................................................................................. 101!
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Biomimicry
Assessment ................................................................................................................................................................. 103!
Samara Seed............................................................................................................................................................ 104!
The Shark’s Paintbrush ............................................................................................................................................. 105!
The Shark’s Paintbrush: Teacher Key .................................................................................................................... 111!
Engineering Solutions Using Biomimicry Cards ................................................................................................... 112!
Solutions Inspired by Nature ................................................................................................................................. 117!
Solutions Inspired by Nature Teacher Key ......................................................................................................... 119!
Ask Nature ................................................................................................................................................................ 120!
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Background: Biomimicry
Biomimicry: Looking to Nature for a
Solution
Lessons 1 & 2: Human Impacts to Earth
with an Emphasis on Climate Change
When engineers were looking for a way to
eliminate the sonic boom caused by high-speed
bullet trains exiting the station, they looked at
the aerodynamics of the Kingfisher bird’s beak.
Engineers redesigned the front of the train to
mimic the bird’s beak, eliminating the sonic boom.
Perhaps the most famous example of using
nature as a source of inspiration is Velcro, which
came from one man’s observation of burrs
sticking to his dog’s fur. Other designers have
looked at whirlpools to understand how fluids
can travel in the path of least resistance and
applied that knowledge to fan blades and
propellers to increase their efficiency. The
possibilities of using nature as a source for
inspiration are endless, but it requires awareness
and an eye for inspiration to understand the
design prototypes seen in nature. Biomimicry
challenges us to design solutions using nature as
a guide.
Though it may not look like it from daily
observations, conditions for life on earth are
changing faster than ever. One of the most
significant and widespread causes of changing
conditions for life on Earth is climate change. The
major atmospheric elements, nitrogen and
oxygen, have remained roughly the same in our
recent past, but carbon dioxide levels have been
steadily rising. Recent carbon dioxide emissions
are abnormally high compared to natural trends,
indicating humans are a leading cause for the
increase in CO2 concentrations. The burning of
fossil fuels (gas, oil, etc.) and deforestation are
causing an increase in atmospheric carbon
concentrations. More carbon is emitted into the
atmosphere than ever before and fewer trees
are alive to absorb it. This has led to an increase
in the impacts of the Greenhouse Effect.
Greenhouse gases such as CO2 absorb solar
radiation, and when the atmosphere has more
greenhouse gases, it absorbs more radiation and
becomes warmer. This increase in the amount of
heat in the atmosphere causes climate change.
The impacts of climate change are global, but
the magnitude of these impacts varies locally. An
increase in extreme weather events may cause
one region to experience more precipitation and
more hurricanes but another region to
experience less precipitation and more droughts.
Some impacts such as the melting of glaciers
have global impacts including raising global sea
level and putting low-lying ecosystems at risk.
In this project students will design an innovation
inspired by nature to address changing
conditions in our habitat, planet Earth. The first
three lessons contextualize the need for
biomimetic designs by introducing human impacts
on Earth (Lesson 1), the consequences of climate
change for the natural world (Lesson 2), and how
species have adapted to survive in their
environments (Lesson 3). Finally, students apply
what they have learned in a biomimicry design
project (Lesson 4).
Climate change is the root of many challenges
we face today from severe droughts to sea level
rise, but humans are facing many other
challenges. Lessons 1 & 2 focus on the causes
and consequences of climate change, but students
may choose to create solutions for any challenge
humans face for their final project. Humans are
impacting the earth in other ways like the waste
that is polluting our lands and oceans,
threatening ecosystems and destroying the
natural beauty of our world. We are facing the
challenge of sustainably providing food, water,
and electricity to our ever-growing population.
Fortunately, we can look to nature to find ways
to adapt, mitigate, and innovate to solve these
problems.
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Background: Biomimicry
Lesson 3: Surviving Changing Conditions
Designing, testing prototypes, and perfecting an
idea takes a lot of time. With the fast pace of
climate change and other problems humans face,
our time to create new solutions is very limited.
Nature on the other hand has been designing,
testing, and perfecting solutions for billions of
years. Lesson 3 discusses both the perseverance
and vulnerability of species in relation to Earth’s
long history. Students will study the major eras in
Earth’s history, gaining perspective on the natural
ebb and flow of global changes over time.
Understanding the eras of Earth also gives insight
into how fast human impacts are occurring. An
emphasis will be placed on the five major
extinctions—some of which are linked to rapid
changes in climate—to demonstrate the fragility
and impermanence of a seemingly stable natural
world. This will allow students to explore the
concepts of species adaptation, mitigation, and
innovation in response to environmental change,
specifically climate change.
Lesson 3 also discusses the evolutionary process,
summarizing how populations of species can
develop new traits over long periods of time.
Students can use evolutionary changes in species
and learned habits species have adopted as a
source of inspiration for their design. Even though
we are changing our environment faster than
ever, we can draw from species’ long history of
perfecting design to find solutions.
Lesson 4: Biomimicry Design Challenge
Nature specializes in adapting to changing
conditions, evidenced by billions of years of
evolution. Biomimicry is a technique that observes
how nature finds solutions and applies that
knowledge toward improving our own human
products and processes. Designing solutions using
biomimicry is a different way of thinking about
designing sustainable, long-term solutions.
Lesson 4 includes the capstone project of this
curriculum. Students will use biomimicry and the
design process to create a solution to a
challenge humans face. Students will work in
groups and may choose to address a cause or
consequence of climate change they learned in
Lessons 1 & 2 or they may choose a problem
they feel passionate about addressing. They will
use the design process to create a prototype and
model of their solution and end the project with
an evaluation of their design. Three options are
available for instructional time for the capstone.
Option 1: Provide students with 1-2, 45-minute
class periods to research and propose a solution
to the problem they have identified. If you
choose this option, you may want to limit the
options for the problem that the students select
by selecting a specific problem.
Option 2: Allow 3-6, 45-minute class periods for
students to research and design a biomimetic
solution. Design projects can be in the form of a
physical model, poster, advertisement, short film,
or research paper. After presenting their
solutions, students will engage in a peer review
process, followed by a final design revision and
improvement stage.
Interdisciplinary Creative Writing Option
If time allows, you may which to collaborate with
an English teacher to explore biomimicry through
creative writing. Addressing the causes and
consequences of climate change physiologically
is not feasible, but the idea presents a challenge
in creative thinking. Students could expand on
their solutions to think of physical adaptations
humans would need to survive if that problem
isn’t solved. The novel Galápagos by Kurt
Vonnegut is a story about how the last humans on
earth adapted to live in an infertile, disease
ridden world. With support from the English
teacher, students can read Galápagos and write
a creative story about their physiological
adaptations. The unit also includes excerpts from
Jay Harmon’s biomimicry design book Shark’s
Paintbrush, but students could read the entire text
in an English class.
Additional Resources
"! Biomimicry 3.8: http://biomimicry.net/
"! Biomimicry Institute: http://biomimicry.org/
"! Biomimicry Challenge:
http://challenge.biomimicry.org/
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Biomimicry
Lesson 1: Human Impacts on Earth
Lesson 1: Human Impacts on
Earth
Lesson 1 Overview
Estimated Time
135 minutes (three 45-minute periods)
Standards
NGSS: HS-ESS2-4, HS-ESS2-6, HS-ESS3-5, HSESS3-6
CC Math: N-Q-1
ELA: Reading for Informational Text 7; Reading for
Literacy in Science & Technical Subjects 3, 4, 7, 9;
Speaking & Listening 1a,c, 2; Language 1, 2, 6,
Writing for Literacy in History/Social Studies,
Science & Technical Subjects 10
CTE: Agriculture & Natural Resources E1.5,
Engineering & Architecture, D4.0, D4.4, Energy,
Environment & Utilities, A2.0, A2.2-2.6
Objectives: Students will be able to:
•! Understand the impacts of greenhouse gases
on the atmosphere
•! Explain the stages of the carbon cycle
•! Demonstrate an understanding of the causes &
consequences of climate change
•! Optional: Analyze what they can do to reduce
their carbon footprint
•! Understand Earth’s systems and relationships
between them
Prep Time
•! 1 hour
Handouts
•! 1.1 Overview of the Biomimicry Project
•! 1.2: Greenhouse Effect Experiment
•! 1.3: Carbon Movement Through Reservoirs
•! 1.4: Measuring Your Carbon Footprint
(Optional)
•! 1.5: Carbon’s Journey
•! 1.6: Global Carbon Budget (Optional)
Materials
•! Equipment to show videos
•! PowerPoint presentation and projector
•! Internet access
•! Handouts
•! Alka-Seltzer tablets, two thermometers, funnel,
watch, four cups of water
Humans are impacting the conditions for life on Earth
in many ways, for example, clearing forest for
farmland, damming rivers, and paving over soil
communities to build infrastructure. In Lessons 1 and 2,
students will focus on the wide-spread and rapid
changes brought about by climate change, however
students can address any number of changing
conditions in their biomimicry design project in Lesson
4.
KEY WORDS
Climate: The average weather in a region over a
relatively long period of time. Weather is measured
over a shorter time period, such as one day or week
Climate Change: A significant change in the measures
of climate. This includes major changes in temperature,
precipitation, wind patterns, etc.
Greenhouse Gases: Gases in the atmosphere that can
trap infrared heat radiation coming from Earth.
Common greenhouse gases in the Earth’s atmosphere
include carbon dioxide, water vapor, methane, and
nitrous oxide
Greenhouse Effect: The warming effect caused by
greenhouse gases (GHGs) trapping infrared radiation
in the atmosphere. The naturally occurring
Greenhouse Effect is vital to maintaining a hospitable
climate for life on Earth, but swelling concentrations of
GHGs in the atmosphere from human activity are
intensifying the Greenhouse Effect, leading to rapidly
rising global temperatures
Carbon: A versatile chemical element found in many
substances like diamond, coal, and all organic matter
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Biomimicry
Lesson 1: Human Impacts on Earth
Carbon Cycle: The combined processes, including photosynthesis, decomposition, respiration, and
combustion by which carbon is cycled between its major reservoirs - the atmosphere, oceans, and
living organisms
Carbon Footprint: The amount of carbon dioxide or other carbon compounds emitted into the
atmosphere by the activities such as driving or generating electricity
Radiation: The emission of energy as electromagnetic waves. Shortwave radiation is emitted by
the sun and longwave radiation is emitted from the Earth
Anthropogenic: Caused by or originating from human activity. The term is typically used to
distinguish properties and implications of the natural environment from that of the man-made
environment.
PREPARATIONS
"! Review materials on carbon cycle, greenhouse gas effect, and climate change. A projector
and Internet are required to show the PowerPoint presentation, instructional videos, and online
simulations. Review videos and online simulations prior the lesson. Reserve a computer lab for
the second day of the lesson for students to use during Activity 2 and Activity 3.
"! Gather required materials for greenhouse effect demonstration. See Materials List at the
beginning of the unit for material cost and ordering information.
"! Print the following handouts:
#! 1.1 Overview of the Biomimicry Project – one per student
#! 1.2 Greenhouse Effect Experiment – one per student
#! 1.3 Carbon Movement Through Reservoirs – one per student
#! 1.4 Measuring Your Carbon Footprint – one per student (optional)
#! 1.5 Carbon’s Journey – one per student
#! 1.6 Global Carbon Budget – one per student (optional)
"! Review the PowerPoint associated with this unit.
"! Recommended Daily Lesson Breakdown
"! Day 1: Greenhouse Gases and Greenhouse Effect
#! Overview of Biomimicry Design Challenge
#! Greenhouse Effect Demonstration
#! Atmospheric Composition
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Biomimicry
Lesson 1: Human Impacts on Earth
#! Discussion & Demonstration Conclusion
#! Greenhouse Effect
"! Day 2: Carbon Cycle
#! Carbon Cycle
#! Carbon Movement Through Reservoirs Activity
#! Carbon’s Journey Activity
"! Optional Day: Carbon Footprint
"! Day 3: Climate Trends and Opportunities
#! Carbon Cycle Activity (continued)
#! Climate Change Causes, Consequences, & Opportunities
#! Historic Climate Trends
SETTING THE STAGE: OVERVIEW OF BIOMIMICRY DESIGN CHALLENGE
"! Distribute the handout Overview of the Biomimicry Project and review the first page with the
class. Students will work on the handout throughout the unit. It is designed to help students
draw connections between climate change, species adaptations, and biomimicry. The handout
uses time as a way to help students understand the magnitude of climate change and the
value of using nature as a source of inspiration. Students will take notes on the handout about
environmental problems humans have caused and ideas from nature that may address those
problems.
"! Share with the students that over the next few classes they are going to learn about the
causes and consequences of climate change, and how we can look to nature to find
opportunities to solve the challenges humans face.
DEMONSTRATION
"! The activity will take approximately 20 minutes of class time to
complete, but is designed for discussion between the initial set up
and conclusion of the demonstration.
"! Materials:
#! Two 2-liter clear plastic soft drink bottles
#! Four cups of water
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Biomimicry
Lesson 1: Human Impacts on Earth
#! Four ~2500 mg sodium bicarbonate tablets (Alka Seltzer)
#! Two thermometers
#! A funnel
#! A watch
#! Sunlight
"! Provide each student with a copy of the Greenhouse Effect Experiment Handout. The
procedure for conducting the experiment is on the first page of the handout. Ask students to
record their observations, measurements, and conclusions on their handout.
SETTING THE STAGE: ATMOSPHERIC COMPOSITION
!!
While the bottles are heating up, use the PowerPoint presentation included in the unit to
discuss with students the composition of the atmosphere.
"! Earth’s atmosphere is composed of two types of gases: permanent gases and trace elements.
#! Permanent gases do not fluctuate in concentration year-to-year and compose a
majority of the atmosphere. These permanent gases are nitrogen (78% of the
atmosphere), oxygen (20.1% of the atmosphere), and argon (.9% of the atmosphere).
#! The remaining components in the atmosphere are present in trace amounts, including
carbon dioxide, nitrous oxides, methane, and ozone. Though trace gases make up a
small percentage of the atmosphere (roughly 1%), changes in their concentrations
have a huge impact on global temperature and ecosystems.
#! The most abundant trace gas, carbon dioxide, has become steadily more concentrated
in Earth’s atmosphere and is the main cause of rising global temperatures.
DISCUSSION
"! Lead the class in a discussion of atmospheric composition and its consequences. Have students
break up into pairs and discuss the following questions.
#! What is Earth’s atmosphere composed of? (Nitrogen, oxygen, argon, and small
amounts of other gases like methane, ozone, carbon dioxide, and nitrous oxides)
#! What are the gases in the two bottles? (The atmosphere in the bottle without AlkaSeltzer consists of primarily nitrogen and oxygen, while the bottle with the Alka-Seltzer
has also has a significant carbon concentration)
#! How does adding the Alka-Seltzer change the atmospheric compositions of the bottle?
(Alka-Seltzer adds carbon dioxide to the atmosphere inside the bottle)
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Lesson 1: Human Impacts on Earth
#! What do you think adding carbon dioxide does to the atmosphere? How is this shown
in the bottle demonstration? (Carbon dioxide increases the temperature of the
atmosphere and is expected to do the same to the bottle)
"! Bring the class back together and share ideas about the questions.
"! Compare the final temperatures between the bottles. The bottle with the carbon-rich
atmosphere should have a higher temperature.
#! What does this mean about the relationship between increased global carbon
emissions and increased global temperature? (Positive correlation between the two
variables)
SETTING THE STAGE: THE GREENHOUSE EFFECT
"! Recall the bottle demonstration is designed to show students that increasing concentrations of
carbon dioxide in the atmosphere results in an increase in temperature. If the experiment was
successful, students will find that the “high CO2” bottle experienced a greater increase in
temperature than the “low CO2” bottle. The differences between the two bottles demonstrate
how carbon concentrations change the greenhouse gas effect
"! Explain the Greenhouse effect:
"! Show one or both of these videos on the Greenhouse Effect:
#! The EPA’s 2-minute overview animation about the Greenhouse Effect:
http://www.epa.gov/climatestudents/basics/today/greenhouse-effect.html#
"! The Earth and our atmosphere create a closed system. Few things enter our closed system
(solar radiation and the occasional meteorite), and few things leave (escaping solar radiation
and the occasional space shuttle). Our atmosphere acts like a blanket, both trapping and
releasing just the right amount of solar radiation, keeping Earth not too hot, not too cold for
the species that have developed here and adapted to the Earth’s climate over millions of
years.
"! The Greenhouse Effect is the warming effect caused by greenhouse gases (GHGs) trapping
infrared radiation in the atmosphere. The naturally occurring Greenhouse Effect is vital to
maintaining a hospitable climate for life on Earth, but swelling concentrations of GHGs in the
atmosphere over short periods of time are increasing the Greenhouse Effect, leading to rising
global temperatures.
#! Greenhouse gases include carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), water vapor, and nitrous
oxide (N2O). CO2 is the most prevalent.
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Biomimicry
Lesson 1: Human Impacts on Earth
1
"! If you have time, students can experiment with this online virtual lab, which demonstrates the
greenhouse effect: https://phet.colorado.edu/en/simulation/greenhouse
ASSESSMENT
!! Ask students to keep a journal through the unit. Students can use their journal to take notes
throughout the lessons. Ask students to describe the greenhouse effect in their journals.
ASSIGNMENT
"! Complete the Greenhouse Effect Handout at home if there is not enough time in class.
SETTING THE STAGE: CARBON CYCLE
"! Earth is over 4.5 billion years old and throughout time the amount of carbon in the
atmosphere has slowly fluctuated. However, present day atmospheric carbon concentrations
are increasing at a rate faster than ever recorded. Looking at the carbon cycle gives us
insight to how these natural fluctuations occur, and how humans are influencing the transfer of
carbon between reservoirs. Understanding how the fluctuations in the carbon cycle cause
changing conditions on Earth can provide inspiration for sustainable methods of surviving these
changing conditions.
!! Use the PowerPoint Presentation included with the unit to help students visualize the
Carbon Cycle.
"! What is carbon?
#! Carbon is one of the most common elements found on Earth. Carbon exists in many
forms. The graphite in pencils is made up of carbon. Diamonds are carbon atoms
1
Source: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/climatechange/FAQ.htm
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Biomimicry
Lesson 1: Human Impacts on Earth
bonded tightly together. Coal, a fossil fuel, is very old organic matter that has been
heated and pressurized underground. Carbon exists in abundance inside of YOU.
#! Carbon is vital for many processes on Earth. It plays a key role in the photosynthetic
process, the production of energy from sunlight.
"! Show the video on the carbon cycle.
"!
Watch the University of Minnesota’s three-minute video about the carbon cycle
and humans’ role in it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Jp1D1dzxj8
2
"! Carbon rotates between Earth’s major reservoirs - the atmosphere, oceans, soil, and living
organisms in a process called the Carbon Cycle.
#! The carbon cycle is the combined processes, including photosynthesis, decomposition,
respiration, and combustion by which carbon is cycled between its major reservoirs –
the atmosphere, oceans, and living organisms.
"! Carbon dioxide (CO2) is one form carbon takes as it cycles through Earth’s reservoirs. Recall,
carbon dioxide in the atmosphere acts as a greenhouse gas.
#! Plants take carbon from the air and store it in their bodies. When animals eat plants
(and in turn may be eaten by other animals), this carbon is transferred again. When
an animal produces waste or dies, carbon can also be transferred to the soil or reemitted into the atmosphere.
#! Carbon is returned to the soil during decomposition of plants and animals. As
decomposing plants and animals are buried, a combination of unique circumstances
including time (millions of years), heat and high pressures, can cause chemical changes
that convert the decomposing plants and animals into fossil fuels.
2
Carbon cycle image courtesy of Dave Murro
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