Natures Cycles The Earths Natural Recycling Process Nutrient
- Slides: 19
Nature’s Cycles The Earth’s Natural Recycling Process
Nutrient Cycles Outline I. Water Cycle 1. evaporation 2. transpiration 3. precipitation II. Carbon 1. Plants 2. Animals III. Nitrogen 1. Air 2. Nitrogen-fixing bacteria
§ Matter cycles from the environment to organisms then back to the environment. § ENERGY DOES NOT CYCLE!!!
WATER CYCLE § 2 ways water enters the atmosphere: – Evaporation: water moves into the atmosphere as it changes from liquid to gas – Transpiration: evaporation of water from the leaves of plant through open stomata
Water Cycle § Clouds form as vapors cool and condense § Condensation – water changing from a gas to a liquid (e. g. clouds, water on a window) § Precipitation – water returning to earth in the form of rain, snow, sleet, hail. § Precipitation can return to oceans through runoff or groundwater
Glaciers
The Carbon Cycle
Carbon Cycle § The original atmosphere was 95% carbon dioxide but now less than 1% § Carbon entered the ecosystem as plants removed carbon dioxide from air during photosynthesis § Consumers eat plants (and therefore carbon) and release it back into the atmosphere in the form of carbon dioxide during respiration
The Carbon Cycle: The Circle of Life § Dirt becomes corn, which is eaten by cows. § The cows are then eaten by humans. § The humans are eaten by worms, which decompose what they eat. § The decomposed nutrients (i. e. carbon) return to the soil. § The cycle then repeats.
So where is the rest? § § § Organisms: composed mainly of carbon Ocean: carbon dioxide dissolves easily in water Rocks: bodies of dead organisms that didn’t decompose; carbon dioxide released into the air when we burn fossil fuels
Oil in Alaska
The Nitrogen Cycle § Why is nitrogen important? – All organisms need nitrogen to make proteins (amino acids)! § Air is 78% nitrogen (N 2)!, However, there is a shortage! § If 78% of the atmosphere is nitrogen, why is there a shortage? – Plants can’t use nitrogen gas in that form
How do we solve the nitrogen shortage problem? § Bacteria to the rescue! Bacteria can use it! § Nitrogen fixing Bacteria: live on the roots of plants and “fix” nitrogen by turning it into a usable form (e. g. ammonia, nitrite, nitrate). § Example: Legumes (peanuts, beans, clover)
Nitrogen Cycle § Animals get nitrogen from eating plants § When animals die, decomposers break them down and release nitrogen gas back into the atmosphere and return some to the soil so plants can reuse it. § However, when there isn’t enough nitrogen available, fertilizer is necessary!!
The Nitrogen Cycle 2 Animals eat plants and each other 1 3 Decomposers break down plants and animals 4 5
Bioaccumulation § Biomagnification: increasing concentration of a a toxic chemical in organisms at higher levels in a food chain. (poisons become more concentrated at the top of the food web) § Bioaccumulation: buildup of toxins in an organism § Ex. Insecticide DDT
- Medium
- Biogeochemical cycles apes
- Whats a nutrient cycle
- A terrestrial food web
- Tpcastt
- Natures%20truth
- Scope of educational psychology:
- Natures first green is gold
- Natures pure purifier
- Plastic recycling process flow chart
- Certified scrap lead-acid batteries recycler
- Earths layer foldable
- Earths roation
- Whats a natural satellite
- Forest desert tundra grassland
- Chalogen elements
- Basalt
- Whats earths moon called
- What is earths thickest layer
- Earths early atmosphere contained