Climate–Biosphere Feedbacks and Global Change Biology
Big idea: This Grade 12 capstone connects carbon sink and source, albedo feedback, permafrost-carbon feedback, biological carbon pump, tipping point to evaluate complex biological systems through evidence, uncertainty, responsible inference and real-world application.
Learning goals
- carbon sink and source
- albedo feedback
- permafrost-carbon feedback
- biological carbon pump
- tipping point
Core concepts
A system is a sink when it absorbs more carbon than it releases and a source when net release is positive.
A change in surface reflectivity that alters absorbed solar energy and can reinforce or oppose warming.
Warming thaws frozen soil, enabling decomposition and greenhouse-gas release that can add further warming.
Marine organisms move carbon from surface waters into deeper ocean layers through production, sinking and food webs.
A threshold beyond which feedbacks can drive a large, persistent system change from a small additional forcing.