Autotrophs participate in the carbon cycle by fixing carbon dioxide to produce the biomass that all other organisms use for life. Four autotrophic carbon-fixation pathways were already known and ...

Dead organisms are broken down into smaller pieces by the process of decay. Organisms such as earthworms are involved in this process.

The terrestrial biosphere is assumed to take up most of the carbon on land. However, it is becoming clear that inland waters process large amounts of organic carbon and must be considered in ...