Final answer:
Carbon is stored in the lithosphere, ocean, atmosphere, and terrestrial ecosystems. In the lithosphere, carbon is found in soil and rocks as organic carbon and fossil fuels. The ocean stores carbon as dissolved carbon dioxide and sediment. The atmosphere holds carbon as carbon dioxide, and terrestrial ecosystems store carbon in living organisms and organic matter in soil.
Step-by-step explanation:
Carbon is stored in various reservoirs: lithosphere (including soil and rocks), ocean, atmosphere, and terrestrial ecosystem. In the lithosphere, carbon is stored in soil as organic carbon through decomposition of organisms or weathering of rocks. Fossil fuels, which are formed from the decomposition of plants over millions of years, are also stored in the lithosphere. In the ocean, carbon is stored as dissolved carbon dioxide (CO2) and as sediments on the ocean floor. The atmosphere holds carbon as carbon dioxide, which is essential for photosynthesis. In terrestrial ecosystems, carbon is stored in living organisms and organic matter in soil.