Viruses And Their Carbon Cycle Impact
Viruses often have a bad rep; they are associated with words like “pandemic”, “disease” and “contamination”. They are, however, an essential part of life and have a surprising and increasingly evident role in the carbon cycle. New evidence points to their part in the fight against climate change; with increased understanding, we can influence how viruses improve our natural carbon sinks and counterbalance atmospheric carbon increases.
Viruses And The Ocean Carbon Cycle
Marine based phytoplankton and bacteria are responsible for producing approximately 50% of the world’s oxygen. They also play an important part in carbon fixation. Viruses infect a large number of these microorganisms, causing their cells to rupture in a process known as a “viral shunt”.
The “viral lysis” of microorganisms causes a large release of carbon and organic matter back into the aquatic food chain. Oceans typically absorb 25% of atmospheric CO2 but the viral shunt impacts their ability to carry out this sequestration process by recycling carbon back into the upper ocean. Some viruses interestingly carry genes that enhance carbon fixation and the ocean “carbon pump” process by boosting photosynthesis in cyanobacteria, even as the cell is breaking down.
Viruses And Soil Carbon Sequestration
Our soil stores more carbon than the atmosphere and world’s plant life combined and there are hundreds-of-millions to billions of viruses in each gram. Scientists are now starting to fully understand the vital roles viruses play in soil carbon storage. Similar to the oceans, the viral shunt effect can play a vital role in the level of soil-based carbon as well as its microorganism composition.
Viruses selectively infect microbial populations; they may target fast growing bacteria that allow those that contribute more effectively to carbon fixation to flourish. Depending on circumstances, this process can either increase carbon soil retention or lead to higher levels of carbon release, playing an important part in how ecosystems such as peatland (pictured) respond to climate change.
Regulators Of Ecosystem Carbon Dynamics
Viruses play an often-underestimated role in land and ocean carbon storage. They achieve this through the control of microbial populations and the viral shunt process. By better understanding the role of viruses in the carbon cycle model, scientists will be able to increase the accuracy of ecosystem responses to environmental changes such as temperature rises and nutrient depletion. This would be especially important within environments such as wetlands or areas of permafrost.
If you are interested in studying Science, or particularly Biology, Oxford Home Schooling offer the chance to do so at a number of levels, listed below. You can also Contact Us.
Gavin Crewe is a regular contributor of informative articles to Oxford Home Schooling.
