Ecomposers such as bacteria feed on dead plants and animals. In which cycle does this decomposition play a role in forming the fossil fuels that people use for energy?

The carbon cycle

The amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is controlled by the carbon cycle.

Processes that remove carbon dioxide from the air:

photosynthesis by plants dissolving in the oceans.

Processes that return carbon dioxide from the air:

respiration by plants, animals and microbes combustion ie burning wood and fossil fuels such as coal, oil and gasthermal decomposition of limestone, for example, in the manufacture of iron, steel and cement. Cellulose

All cells contain carbon, because they all contain proteins, fats and carbohydrates. For example, plant cell walls are made of cellulose, a carbohydrate.

Decomposers

Decomposers, such as microbes and fungi, play an important role in the carbon cycle. They break down the remains of dead plants and animals and, in doing so, release carbon dioxide through respiration.

For thousands of years, the processes in the carbon cycle were constant, so the percentage of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere did not change. Over the past 200 years, the percentage of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased steadily because humans are:

burning more and more fossil fuels as energy sources burning large areas of forests to clear land, which means that there is less photosynthesis removing carbon dioxide from the air.