Question

If a region of soil lost bacteria that decompose dead plants and animals, how would this affect the carbon cycle?

a) Carbon would accumulate in dead plants
b) Carbon would accumulate in living plants
c) Carbon would accumulate in soil bacteria
d) Carbon would accumulate in the atmosphere

Answer 1

Without decomposing bacteria, carbon would accumulate in dead plants, disrupting the carbon cycle and preventing carbon from being returned to the atmosphere.

Step-by-step explanation:

If a region of soil lost bacteria that decompose dead plants and animals, this would have a significant impact on the carbon cycle. Decomposers, including bacteria, play a crucial role in breaking down dead organic matter and returning carbon to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide through the process of respiration. Without these decomposers, carbon would accumulate in dead plants because the dead organic matter would not be recycled back into the ecosystem. This impeded process would prevent carbon from being released into the atmosphere and available for use by living plants through photosynthesis. Therefore, as a direct consequence of the loss of soil bacteria, carbon would accumulate in dead plants, disrupting the balance of the carbon cycle.