Download Nutrient Cycles

Nutrient Cycles How do organisms obtain nutrients? •  Although energy moves through ecosystems in a one-­‐way direc;on, nutrients are recycled. •  There are 3 basic nutrient cycles in all ecosystems Water Cycle •  Driven by the sun •  Consists of the alterna;on between evapora;on and condensa;on The Water Cycle Water Cycle Vocab •  Water vapor-­‐ gaseous form of water in atmosphere •  Evapora;on-­‐ liquid water from bodies of water becomes gas returned to atmosphere. •  Transpira;on-­‐ loss of water by land plants •  Condensa;on-­‐ process which water molecules gather in atmosphere “change from gas to liquid” when cooled. •  Precipita;on-­‐ water falls from atmosphere to ground (rain, snow, sleet, or hail) Why is the water cycle important •  Water is the most important nonliving (abio;c) component of an ecosystem. •  Water essen;ally determines what organisms we find in an ecosystem. •  What is the major difference between the tropical rainforest and the desert? Why? Carbon Cycle •  Carbon cycles between the living organisms and the non-­‐living components of ecosystem. •  Carbon exists in the atmosphere as carbon dioxide (CO2) •  Why do living things need carbon? Carbon Cycle Vocab •  Photosynthesis-­‐ process where sunlight,CO2 and H2O is used to make food •  Respira;on-­‐ process by which animals take in O2 given off by plants and give off CO2 •  ***THE OPPOSITE OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS! •  Fossil fuels-­‐ formed by pressure applied to dead organisms that are buried in sediment. They are carbon and release CO2 when burned. •  Combus;on-­‐ burning of fossil fuels Why is the carbon cycle important? •  Energy for living organisms(carbohydrates). •  ***Humans in the United States are altering this cycle. •  Burning of too many fossil fuels is releasing extra CO2 into the atmosphere crea;ng “global warming” due to increased greenhouse effect. Nitrogen Cycle •  The atmosphere contains mostly nitrogen gas (N2). •  However, this nitrogen can not be used by most living things. •  Bacteria are the only organisms that can use nitrogen directly from the environment. •  They can fix nitrogen for plants to use Nitrogen Cycle Vocab •  Nitrogen fixa;on-­‐ nitrogen gas in atmosphere to ammonia (bacteria in soil, lightning) •  Denitrifica;on-­‐ conversion of ammonia back to nitrogen gas(decomposers). Why is the nitrogen cycle important? •  Why is nitrogen important to living things? •  How do plants obtain nitrogen? •  Why are bacteria SO important to the nitrogen cycle? •  How do we obtain nitrogen?