Photosynthesis fixes carbon as sugar in the biosphere, and cellular respiration burns sugar and releases carbon into the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. The ecosystem stores some carbon.

Question

 
How much carbon moves through an acre of forest in one year? Move the numbers to the correct containers to illustrate the movement of carbon in the forest ecosystem shown.
Response area with 3 blank spaces

Blank space 1 empty
Blank space 2 empty
Blank space 3 empty
Answer options with 3 options.
0.7
2.2
2.9

Answer 1

To illustrate the movement of carbon in a typical forest ecosystem, the numbers may represent different processes of carbon transfer. A common illustration is as follows:

• Photosynthesis (carbon fixation) typically captures around 2.9 tons of carbon per acre per year.
• Cellular respiration (release of carbon) typically emits around 2.2 tons of carbon per acre per year.
• The remaining carbon stored in biomass (the net storage) might be around 0.7 tons per year.

So you can fill the blanks as follows:

• Blank space 1: 2.9 (amount of carbon fixed by photosynthesis)
• Blank space 2: 2.2 (amount of carbon released by respiration)
• Blank space 3: 0.7 (net carbon stored in the ecosystem)

This would accurately illustrate the movement of carbon in the forest ecosystem.