Question

1. not all dead organisms are acted on by decomposers. instead of being immediately recycled, the carbon from some organisms is kept in a type of long - term storage, or carbon sink. answer the questions below about this long - term storage.

a. list three materials that contain this stored carbon.
i
b. what is the collective term for these three materials?
c. how do modern humans use these carbon stores?
d. how does our use of these carbon stores affect the amount of co₂ in the atmosphere?

Explanation:

a. Coal, oil, and natural gas are materials with stored carbon. These are formed from the remains of ancient organisms over long - geological periods.
b. The collective term for coal, oil, and natural gas is fossil fuels. They are called so because they are derived from the fossilized remains of pre - historic organisms.
c. Modern humans use fossil fuels mainly as energy sources. Coal is used in power plants to generate electricity, oil is refined into gasoline, diesel, etc. for transportation, and natural gas is used for heating and electricity generation.
d. When fossil fuels are burned, the carbon stored in them is released as carbon dioxide ($CO_2$) into the atmosphere. This increases the amount of $CO_2$ in the atmosphere, contributing to the greenhouse effect and climate change.

Answer:

a. Coal, Oil, Natural Gas
b. Fossil Fuels
c. As energy sources (coal for electricity generation, oil for transportation fuels, natural gas for heating and electricity)
d. Increases the amount of $CO_2$ in the atmosphere