Quote:
Originally Posted by NeilBlanchard
Yes, rotting plant matter returns all the carbon to the air - by definition. That is part of the cycle of life, and proves the laws of conservation.
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I'll disagree.
Decomposition part of the cycle of life , I agree.
Returning all carbon to the air , the definition of rotting plant matter .. not any definition of rotting , or decomposition I've seen requires this "All" part... nor do any of them require the 'to the air' part.
All the definitions I've read of rotting , decomposition , decay , etc .. all refer one way or the other .. to breaking down material to component parts .. not about requiring "all" the carbon to get back to the air.
A % of the carbon not being put back in the air by decomposition .. it instead going further down to form things like fossil fuels and such .. also equally supports laws of conservation.