Forest Carbon Cycle Quiz

What is the main reason why carbon dioxide (CO2) is considered a greenhouse gas?

• It helps to trap heat near the surface of the earth

• It is released by human activities

• It is an important component of natural ecosystems

• It is produced during photosynthesis

During photosynthesis, plants take CO2 from the air and convert it into:

• Oxygen

• Water

• Sugars

• Structural compounds

What happens to the carbon stored in a living tree's trunk, roots, leaves, and branches?

• It is stored in the soil

• It is used to build the tree's structure

• It is converted into sugars for food

• It is released into the air during respiration

What is the process called when the carbon stored in dead leaves and branches breaks down?

• Combustion

• Decomposition

• Photosynthesis

• Respiration

When a forest is building up (taking in) more carbon than it is releasing, it is called a:

• Carbon sink

• Greenhouse gas

• Carbon source

• Photosynthesizing forest

What does a positive NEE value indicate?

• More carbon is entering the forest than leaving

• More carbon is leaving the forest than entering

• The forest is not photosynthesizing

• The forest is a carbon sink

What does a negative NEE value indicate?

• More carbon is entering the forest than leaving

• More carbon is leaving the forest than entering

• The forest is not photosynthesizing

• The forest is a carbon sink

Why were Bill and his team interested in understanding NEE?

• To learn how the environment works

• To measure the CO2 concentration in the air

• To predict future climate change

• To study the global carbon cycle