The Carbon Cycle is probably
better known as The Circle of Life. Since it is a continuous cycle, there is really no beginning of the cycle but we will start with the plants.
First the plants absorb carbon from the
air through their leaves.
Then herbivores
eat the plants and the plants give a percentage of their energy and their carbon to the herbivore.
Next carnivores
eat the herbivores and that passes along energy and carbon as
well.
Finally the carnivore dies, decomposes, and the carbon returns to the soil that eventually grows grass and other plants.
The atmosphere receives carbon from various sources but here are a couple:
- Burned fossil fuels.
- When animals exhale. (Including
humans.)
- Believe it or not, volcanoes!
- Plant respiration. (When Plants "breathe" in, they also inhale oxygen so they exhale a portion of carbon dioxide.)
Grass absorbs carbon through leaves.
Rabbit eats grass. Fox eats
rabbit. Fox eventually dies, decomposes, and becomes soil. Soil grows
new grass. That is the Carbon Cycle.