Download Cycles of Matter PPT

Cycles of Matter
Introduction
• Matter is made up of tiny particles called
atoms.
– Hydrogen (H) and oxygen (O) are examples
• A combination of two or more of these tiny
particles that are joined and act as a unit is
called a molecule.
– Water H2O
The Three Cycles
• The important cycles of matter in an
ecosystem include
– water cycle
– carbon and oxygen cycles
– nitrogen cycle
The Water Cycle
• Water is essential for life
• Water continually moves from the Earth’s
surface to the atmosphere and back in a
process known as the water cycle.
• Transpiration- evaporation from leaves of
plants.
The Carbon and Oxygen Cycles
• Carbon is an element that is found in all
living things.
• Carbon and Oxygen are cycled through
the processes of photosynthesis and
respiration
• Plants take the carbon dioxide and use it
to make glucose during photosynthesis
• During respiration, mitochondria use
oxygen to break down glucose for energy.
The Nitrogen Cycle
• Nitrogen is an element that has to be “fixed”
before most organisms are able to use it.
• The changing of free nitrogen gas to a useable
form is called nitrogen fixation
– Most nitrogen fixation is performed by bacteria that
live in bumps called nodules on the roots of certain
plants.
– These plants are known as legumes and include
clover, beans, peas, alfalfa, and peanuts.
• Nitrogen returns to the environment through
animal wastes which are broken down by
decomposers.
Roles of Bacteria in the
Nitrogen Cycle
• Nitrogen-fixing bacteria that live in nodules on
the roots of plants change nitrogen gas into
nitrogen compounds.
• Bacteria that are decomposers recycle nitrogen
compounds in the soil
• Other bacteria release free nitrogen to the air.
What would the role of animals be?
– Consume nitrogen when eating plants, or organisms
that eat plants
– Return nitrogen to the soil through wastes
Biogeography
The study of where organisms live
Continental Drift
• Continents moving
slowly over time
• One factor that has
affected how species
are distributed across
the earth
Dispersal
• Movement of organisms from one place to
another
• Caused by
– Wind
– Water
– Living things
Wind
• Seeds
• Small organisms
• Spores
Water
• Things that float
• Small organisms
Other living things
• Birds
• Dogs
• People
– Kudzu; exotic species
• Brought from China to
prevent erosion
• Now it is taking over and
killing trees it grows on.
• What type of relationship
do the trees and Kudzu
have?
Limits to Dispersal
• Physical Barriers
– Water, Mountains, and deserts
• Competition
– Compete for resources with species that are
already there
• Climate
– Can a palm tree live in Michigan?