Carbon Cycle in Response to Global Warming

Abstract

Global warming is a crucial problem in the whole world since the nineteenth century. There are several reasons responsible for global warming. Most considerable from them are anthropogenic activities. Through a variety of human activities, greenhouse gases are continuously released into the atmosphere which resulted in raised Earth temperature. Various greenhouse gases are emitted into the atmosphere. Most common of them are CO2, methane, nitrous oxide, SO2, and ozone. CO2 emission usually occurred naturally by plants in dark, through human respiration and the natural carbon cycle. But, due to anthropogenic activities, the significant amounts of CO2 are released into the atmosphere which is above the normal threshold limit. High concentrations of CO2 caused Global Warming. Global warming, in turn, disrupts natural carbon cycle which releases more CO2 into the environment. Thus, this cycle is continuously running with disastrous effect on the natural earth’s environment. Natural carbon cycle normally occurred by the degradation of SOC (soil organic carbon) by a variety of microbes and other chemical reactions which then released CO2 in the atmosphere. But, due to the decline of organic carbon in the soil, a huge amount of CO2 is being released into the environment. This process has disastrous effects on not only humans but also on plants and other wildlife. This chapter reveals the effects of global warming on the natural carbon cycle which is the prime concern of today’s studies.