Challenge: Rank the 4 The soil samples have been

soil samples from least to collected from around the

most amount of carbon school at different locations.
released in a certain
amount of time. If A- Community garden
everyone’s ranking B- Forest
matches, you earn a point
C- Parking Lot
D- Classroom Plant

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 Sample Worksheet
Soil Label 0 minute (ppm) 5 minutes (ppm)
A
B
C
D

Order Most → Least Carbon produced

1.
2.
3.
4.
 The Cycle Continues!
Essence: Soil respiration is defined as the production of CO2 as a
result of two processes: the breakdown, or oxidation of carbon-rich
organic matter by soil microorganisms, and respiration by plant
cells. The rate of CO2 production provides an indication of the rate
of breakdown or organic matter and therefore of the amount of soil
carbon that is lost. Measurements can help to determine the
contribution of soil to the atmospheric CO2 budget.

Materials (10 groups of 2)

*4 containers of soil with seal top
* 1 CO2 measuring device
Materials (20):
*40 containers of soil with seal top
* 10 CO2 measuring device
Hints
1) What are some
environmental issues that
could effect soil respiration?
2) What does the highest
amount of carbon ppm means
for our atmosphere?
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 Debrief Questions
• Did the soil locations have an affect on how
much carbon is being produced?
• Create a carbon cycle on the soil location that
produced the most carbon.