Question

What happens to carbon in plants when the plants die?(1 point)
Responses

The carbon is released into the environment.
The carbon is released into the environment.

The carbon stays in the plants' bodies, which do not decompose.
The carbon stays in the plants' bodies, which do not decompose.

The carbon disappears during decomposition.
The carbon disappears during decomposition.

The carbon is converted into rocks.
The carbon is converted into rocks.

Answer 1

The carbon is released into the environment.

Decomposers break down the dead plant material, returning carbon to the air as CO2 (or sometimes methane) and to the soil as organic matter; over long time scales some can become fossil fuels or rock.