Sexual selection example; The brightness of the feathers of a peacock. You may also see similar traits in other birds, where some dance and show off bright feathers to attract a mate, where other build nests. These specific traits do not increase their chance of survival, and are not learned. They increase their fitness because they increase their chances of reproduction and passing on their genes.
Survival of the fittest = Survival of those who survive, and reproduce
Most of the carbon that's stored in plants - and in anything that eats them - is released back into the atmosphere by respiration when the organisms die and are eaten by microbes.
