Did you know that most of plant mass comes from the air?

Worried about the levels of CO2 in the atmosphere? Some activists (like Bill McKibben with 350.org) are working to divest in fossil fuels to keep carbon in the ground. Others (like Peter Donovan with the Soil Carbon Coalition) are working to add carbon material to soil to put carbon back in the ground.

Carbon cycling is related to water cycling and nutrient cycling. Water follows carbon.

Some tools that can suppress photosynthesis and increase oxidation (and raise atmospheric CO2 levels):

• fire
• tillage
• drainage (e.g., draining peat swamps, which exposes them to bacterial oxidation)
• management of grazing animals
  • See Allan Savory's Holistic Management promotes practices that increase photosynthesis and reduce oxidation
  • Rob Rutherford teaches a holistic management course (AG 360/AG 450) at Cal Poly
• herbicides
• pavement
• fossil fuels

How do you participate in the carbon cycle?

• breathing