During the Carboniferous Period, there were widespread coal swamps. When there is rapid burial of plant matter (in the absence of decomposers in an anoxic swamp), what happens to the relative concentrations of CO2 and O2 in the atmosphere?

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Geography

Evie Rose

6 August, 07:16

During the Carboniferous Period, there were widespread coal swamps. When there is rapid burial of plant matter (in the absence of decomposers in an anoxic swamp), what happens to the relative concentrations of CO2 and O2 in the atmosphere?

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Answers (2)

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Lana Ponce · Answer 1

The Carboniferous era had large deposits of coal matter in the soil. However there was absence of decomposers which gave rise to increased accumulation of organic matter in the soil.

Decomposers make use of oxygen to breathe in the soil due to their existence as animals and not plants. They inhale oxygen and give out Carbon dioxide.

Absence of these decomposers mean increased level of oxygen due to its non usage and reduction in CO2 which is the end product of respiration for the decomposers.

Koko · Answer 2

Rapid burial of plant matter in the absence of recomposed in an anoxic swamp results to an increase in the concentration of atmospheric carbon dioxide and oxygen

Explanation:

Plant generally are associated with intake of carbon dioxide and release of oxygen to the atmosphere, while the reverse is the case with microorganisms that are classified as decomposers in an anoxic swamp.

When plant that ought to make use of atmospheric carbon dioxide continues to wither away, it will lead to an increase in the quantity of the compound while on the other hand when decomposers that ought to utilize oxygen for the activities ceases to exist, the same compound will be left in the atmosphere as excess residue.