Question

(Give very very short answers for all)
1.Fossil fuels exist because of producers. Working backwards, explain this statement.
2.Which sphere on Earth is the largest reservoir for carbon.
3.Which sphere on the major source for carbon.
4.Explain what is driving climate change.
5.One natural sink not mentioned in this activity is limestone rocks. Where do these rocks come from?
6.Explain why wetlands are the largest natural source of methane emission.
7.Describe four was that humans could mitigate the effects of climate change by filling in the table. Anthropogenic source-
Solution to decrease this source-

Answer 1

1. Producers (plants/phytoplankton) fix carbon by photosynthesis; when they die and are buried, heat and pressure over geologic time convert their remains into fossil fuels.

2. Lithosphere (sedimentary rocks and fossil fuels).

3. Biosphere (living and recently dead organisms are the main short-term carbon source).

4. Rising greenhouse gases (mainly CO2, CH4) from human activities (burning fossil fuels, deforestation, agriculture) enhancing the greenhouse effect.

5. Limestone forms from accumulated calcium carbonate (shells/skeletons of marine organisms) that lithify on the seafloor.

6. Wetlands are waterlogged and anaerobic, so methanogenic microbes break down organic matter and emit large amounts of CH4.

7. Four anthropogenic sources and solutions:
- Fossil-fuel combustion — replace with renewables and improve energy efficiency.
- Deforestation — stop clearing, reforest, and use sustainable forestry.
- Agriculture (rice paddies, ruminants) — change water management, improve livestock feed, capture methane.
- Landfills/waste — capture landfill gas, increase recycling/composting and reduce waste.