Does the ratio of O2, Nitrogen , CO2 and other gases stay relatively the same in the atmosphere? With all the cars and industry using O2 is it going to be depleted someday? Trees cannot replace O2 because they only produce O2 during photosynthesis, most of the rest of the time they use up O2 like us and other living things.
2006-08-23 02:46:14 · 9 answers · asked by Dennis C 2 in Environment
Plant plankton is probably the answer you are looking for. They are tiny plants that live in the top layers of seawater. Some are so small they are microscopic.
Phytoplankton (plant plankton) is photosynthetic, and the oceans population of phytoplankton produces approximately half of the worlds O2 (see the link below).
Also, don't dismiss the contribution of land plants so easily. It does happen "just during photosynthesis" - but a LOT of photosynthesis is taking place - land plants are responsible for the other 50% of O2 in our atmosphere.
I hope this was helpful.
2006-08-23 02:52:04 · answer #1 · answered by Carbon-based 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They stay pretty much the same. Nothing manmade can really deplete O2 completely. What we are doing is dig up carbon in form of oil and cole, which increases the ratio of CO2 a little bit. This in itself can be harmful due to the assumed greenhouse effect, but it won't make oxygen disappear, nowhere near.
As for trees, they simply produce more than they consume. (The same goes for both carbihydrates and oxygen) That's way trees drop their leaves in the autumn, because they consume oxygen and sugar, but suddenly can't help produce it.
2006-08-23 02:56:58 · answer #2 · answered by nitro2k01 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The simple answer to your question is that there is alot of it.
As you may be aware from news coverage, the levels of CO2 (carbon dioxide) in the atmosphere are increasing, causing the greenhouse effect and global warming.
The carbon and nitrogen cycles both show how the respective chemicals are used and converted, the oxygen can never be used up, but is just bonded with another substance like carbon, and plants can remove this bond by photosynthesis.
To learn about the carbon and nitrogen cycles see:
http://www.scienceaid.co.uk/biology/ecology/cycles.html
2006-08-23 04:27:23 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Plants utilize CO2 to Produce O2 during Photosynthesis. They Brethe in CO2 and give out and we do the reverse. it is only during night that the release the unrequired CO2 trapped.
2006-08-23 09:03:51 · answer #4 · answered by jasmine 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Photosythesis occurs during all daylight hours. Plants never use O2 by itself, they use CO2. Trees are not the only plants. There are microscopic plants in the ocean, basically every plant on Earth is producing Oxygen.
2006-08-23 02:54:14 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
you must know that there is about a thousand times more oxygen (20%) than carbon dioxide (some 0,02%)in the air. that is why the changes in oxygen are not measurable at all, while the increase in CO2 is alarming (about one third of its contents in last century) and making some diference (greenhouse effect).
so the ratio is changing alot, but no way we could change the 02 levels globally.
2006-08-23 04:35:49 · answer #6 · answered by iva 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Plankton baby. Without plankton, we'd all choke to death. The guy before me is right, any green plant that needs sunlight to live uses photosynthesis.
2006-08-23 02:54:34 · answer #7 · answered by 006 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
About 80% of earth's O2 is supplied by lowly algae, believe it or not. That unsightly scum in bird baths is helping (a little) to keep us alive!
2006-08-23 09:00:30 · answer #8 · answered by ? 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because there's a whole lot of it. Any of the amount used is easily replaced by plants during sunlight hours.
2006-08-23 02:52:48 · answer #9 · answered by tjc 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋