Question

The cycling of carbon throughout the environment is critical to ensuring the survival of all organisms. Suppose a mountain lion kills a deer in the forest.

A mountain lion standing on rocks near water.

Photo by US Department of Agriculture

What would likely happen first to the carbon in the deer carcass as it lies on the forest floor after the mountain lion has finished feeding on it?
a.
It would be incorporated into other organisms.
b.
It would be released back into the atmosphere.
c.
It would be turned into coal.
d.
It would be incorporated into the soil.

Answer 1

b. It would be released back into the atmosphere.

Reason: scavengers and decomposers (bacteria, fungi, and detritivores) break down the carcass and respire the carbon as CO2 relatively quickly. Some carbon may later be incorporated into other organisms or soil, and only over very long timescales could it become coal.