Consider the speed of natural carbon transfer with the rates when human activity is involved.

Key:

Speed of transfer of carbon between

Very fast (less than 1 year)
Fast (1 to 10 years)
Slow (10 to 100 years)
Very slow (more than 100 years)
1
Respiration
2
Photosynthesis
3
Decomposition
4
Burning
5
Vegetation
6
Fire
7
Fossil fuels
8
Absorption
9
Degassing
10
Surface water
11
Deep water
12
Sediment