Resource Cycles Recycling nutrients throughout the living environment

Resource Cycles Recycling nutrients throughout the living environment.

Why are abiotic resources recycled? • Consider this: – “Neither energy nor matter can be created or destroyed. ”—The First Law of Thermodynamics. Water Carbon Oxygen Nitrogen Phosphorous

The Water Cycle Water cycles throughout the entire world. Label the diagram on the right. Condensation Evaporation Runoff Infiltration Water storage in ocean Underground water storage Water table

The Water Cycle Water cycles throughout the entire world. is evaporated • Water Some of the water from areas of water collection reaching the ground will such as lakes, oceans, or run along the surface of steams. the land. • • Water is also Some of the transpired water will from leaves of plants. seep into the ground and into the • be Theincorporated evaporated water ground water. in the vapor condenses • atmosphere. Eventually, the water will be taken up by plants, or • After a period of time, will make its occurs. way to a precipitation body of water.

The Carbon Cycle Carbon cycles throughout the entire world. • Carbon is an essential building block of life. • Carbon can be found in the form of calcium carbonate in many things--from our bones to shells and many types of rocks. • Carbon often bonds with Calcium Carbonate Oxygen to form Carbon Glycogen Dioxide. • Plants take in CO 2 during photosynthesis to make organic compounds. Infiltration Underground water storage

The Carbon Cycle Carbon cycles throughout the entire world. • Carbon dioxide is released by both plants and animals during cellular respiration. • Carbon dioxide is also released into the atmosphere through volcanic activity and human activities such as burning fossil fuels. Infiltration Underground water storage

The Carbon Cycle Carbon cycles throughout the entire world. • Plants use carbon in the process of photosynthesis to eventually make glucose, fructose, starches, cellulose, and a number of other organic molecules. • These organic molecules are the energy that will be passed throughout the ecosystem. Infiltration Underground water storage

The Carbon Cycle Carbon cycles throughout the entire world. • Mollusks use calcium carbonate to make their shells. • When these shells die, the calcium carbonate will eventually break down, and the carbon will return to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. Infiltration Underground water storage

Amino Acids

Where is Nitrogen found? • Nitrogen is a needed resource for the formation of amino acids, which are necessary for the formation of proteins. • Nitrogen gas (N 2) makes up 78 percent of Earth’s atmosphere.

Where is Nitrogen found? • Nitrogen is also found in waste products by many organisms and in decaying organic matter in the form of ammonia (NH 3 - ), Nitrate ions (NO 3 - ), and Nitrite ions (NO 2 - ).

The Nitrogen Cycle • In order for plants to be able to use nitrogen, it must first be ‘fixed’ as ammonia through a process called nitrogen fixation. • Nitrogen fixation is performed by specialized bacteria which form beneficial relationships with plants

The Nitrogen Cycle

The Nitrogen Cycle • Once nitrogen is in the soil in the form of ammonia, other bacteria can convert it to nitrate or nitrite. • When these compounds are available in the soil, the producers can use them to grow.

The Nitrogen Cycle What are these animals When theseeating? animals die, actually where will their nitrogen go? When an organism dies, its various forms of nitrogen will return to soil as ammonia.

The Nitrogen Cycle Navigate through this diagram of the nitrogen cycle.

Nutrient Limitation • Often, a nutrient can primary be determined to be of the Ecologists assess the productivity insufficiently in an ecosystem. soil in an arealow to determine if it is performing as • The is called the limiting good asdeficient it shouldnutrient be. nutrient for theproductivity primary productivity of the is • The primary of an ecosystem. the rate at which organic matter is created by producers.

Nutrient Limitation • If an ecosystem is deficient in a nutrient, farmers will often administer fertilizers. • Used correctly, fertilizers can increase the productivity of farmland.

Nutrient Limitation • If an ecosystem is deficient in a nutrient, farmers will often administer fertilizers. • Used incorrectly, fertilizers can cause environmental harm. • The regular application of fertilizers has negative effects.

Nutrient Limitation • When rainwater moves over areas that have been heavily fertilized, the unabsorbed nutrients will runoff with the water. • In time, the added nutrients from the fertilizers will accumulate in the water.

Nutrient Limitation • This causes the producers in the ecosystem to reach an inappropriately high biomass. This is called algal bloom.