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 is converted into rocks. The carbon is converted into rocks. The carbon disappears during decomposition.

Answer 1

The correct response is: The carbon is released into the environment.

When plants die, the carbon contained in their biomass is released back into the environment during the decomposition process, primarily through the actions of microorganisms and other decomposers. Some carbon may also be stored in the soil or eventually contribute to sedimentary rocks over geological timescales, but the immediate response during decomposition is that carbon is released.