Download Biogeochemical Cycles

By Stephen Monahan
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1. Draw (or present an image) and
describe the steps of the water
cycle.
Evaporation: Liquid-> gas (energy
of sun)
Transpiration: Gaseous water
released from leaves of plants
Condensation: When water
particles condense to form rain
droplets in clouds
Precipitation: When rain droplets
fall to the earth from the clouds
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Define: Evaporation
and Transpiration
 Evaporation:
Liquid->
gas (energy of sun)
 Transpiration:
Gaseous
water released from
leaves of plants
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1. Draw (or present an image) and
describe the steps of the carbon
cycle.
Photosynthesis: The process of
converting sunlight into food
Respiration: The process of
converting food into carbon
dioxide
Decomposition: The process of
flesh decomposing.
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2. Describe how fossil fuels form.
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3. List human activities that increase
the amount of atmospheric CO2.
Deforestation
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4. What type of a gas is CO2?
Green House Gas
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5. What problem is associated with
elevated CO2 levels?
Global Warming
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1. Draw (or present an image) and
describe the steps of the nitrogen
cycle.
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Nitrogen Fixation: Converting
Nitrogen Gas into ammonia
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Dentrification: Converting nitrates
into nitrogen gas
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2. What percent of the atmosphere
is made of Nitrogen (N2) gas?
78%
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3. Define and describe Nitrogen
Fixation and Denitrification.
Nitrogen Fixation: bacteria takes
nitrogen gas -> nitrogen compounds
Dentrification: Soil bacteria convert
nitrates-> Nitrogen gas
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4. Why do all organisms require
nitrogen?
Nitrogen is required to make amino
acids
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1. Draw (or present an image) and
describe the steps of the
phosphorus cycle.
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Weathering: The process of
wearing down rocks and sediments
which releases phosphate
Some of the phosphate is washed
into the ocean
Some Phosphate stays on land and
is absorbed by plants
Plants bind phosphate into organic
compounds
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2. Why is phosphorus essential to living
organisms?
Phosphorus is required to form part of DNA
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3. How is the phosphorus cycle different than
the other biogeochemical cycles?
Phosphorus doesn’t enter the atmosphere
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4. Where is most of the phosphorus store In
the biosphere?
Most phosphorus is stored in land, rock, soil
and minerals
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5. How does phosphorus become incorporated
into organic compounds?
Plants bind phosphate for organic use through
a food web