Water & Carbon Cycles

Water Cycle

Carbon Cycle

Indonesia Case Study

Deforestation

Palm Oil Industry

Set to increase, therefore deforestation will continue

Higher yield than other oil based crops

85% of palm oil is produced in Malaysia and Indonesia

Impacts on carbon cycle

Impact on water cycle

Trees no longer able to absorb CO2 via photosynthesis

Enhanced greenhouse effect

Resulting in global warming, ice melt, and sea level rise

Peat soils act as a carbon sink but upon exposure to air due to deforestation, they will release CO2 and can no longer act as a carbon store

Burning trees releases CO2 into atmosphere

Breaks the water cycle, reduction of rainfall so area becomes drier.

Drier conditions can increase the risk of forest fires, which release even more CO2 into atmosphere (positive feedback loop)

Surface flow is more rapid -----> ground becomes drier and more rapid soil erosion. Hard to grow crops, so animals and people will struggle to find food

Forest fires

Nearly all human caused as environment is too moist to ignite naturally

Caused the largest increase in atmospheric carbon since the 1950's

Atmospheric Cycle

Oceanic Cycle

Terrestrial Cycle

Carbon is cycled relatively rapidly between soil and vegetation and the atmosphere. "Fast carbon cycle"

Occurs within ecosystems, which are now almost all subject to intensive human impacts

Uptake of CO2 from atmosphere by plant photosynthesis. CO2 released back into atmosphere due to respiration of plants and animals

Land use changes and other human impacts have the potential to change the terrestrial carbon cycle

Carbon is held in dissolved form in the waters and in the tissues of ocean dwelling organisms

Primary inputs and outputs are by gas exchange with the atmosphere but also a significant input of both organic carbon and carbonate ions from continental runoff

Oceans are a very significant store of carbon

Carbon flux within oceans is controlled by physical, chemical, and biological processes

Carbon lasts up to 50 years in atmosphere while methane only lasts 12 years

Carbon and Methane

CO2 is relatively unreactive and and usually removed from atmosphere through interactions with the terrestrial and oceanic carbon cycles