Question

1. which carbon sinks showed the biggest increase? please explain why we would see that increase following the industrial revolution. 2. which showed the biggest decrease, please explain why we might see that decrease following the industrial revolution? 3. please write an overall summary that explains how humans have changed the carbon cycle on earth? in other words, how have humans changed the amounts of carbon in the different sinks

Explanation:

1. Answer to first part: Forests are major carbon - sinks. With the industrial revolution, deforestation for industrial expansion and urbanization reduced forest cover, decreasing the capacity of carbon - sinks. Also, increased fossil fuel burning released large amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere that could not be absorbed as effectively by the remaining carbon - sinks.
2. Answer to second part: If there were a decrease, it could be due to re - forestation efforts, improved land use practices that promote carbon sequestration (such as regenerative agriculture), and the development of carbon - capture technologies that remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and store it in geological formations or use it in industrial processes.
3. Answer to third part: Humans have changed the amounts of carbon in different sinks mainly through deforestation, fossil fuel combustion, and changes in land use. Deforestation reduces the number of plants available to absorb carbon dioxide through photosynthesis. Fossil fuel burning releases long - stored carbon into the atmosphere. Changes in land use like converting grasslands to croplands can also affect the soil's ability to store carbon.

Answer:

1. Deforestation and increased fossil - fuel burning during the industrial revolution decreased carbon - sinks' capacity.
2. Reforestation, better land - use practices, and carbon - capture technologies could lead to a decrease.
3. Through deforestation, fossil - fuel combustion, and land - use changes.