Contribution to carbon balance and atmosphere

Global carbon dioxide Carbon cycles between gaseous forms like C0₂ in the atmosphere and forms in which it is fixed, for instance in living organisms. Higher plants have a major role in removing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Global atmospheric CO₂ concentration was about 190 ppm at the end of the last ice age, but it has risen to 375 ppm today. Burning fossil fuels and widespread destruction of forests are responsible for this increase.