Download Cycles of Matter

Cycles of Matter
Matter Cycles
 Food
chains and food webs show the
linear movement of energy in the
ecosystem, from the sun to producers, to
consumers, and finally
decomposers/detritivores.
ENERGY FLOWS
 Matter cycles are of equal importance
MATTER CYCLES
The Water Cycle
 Why

is it important?
Without water, the following things can’t
happen:
• Plants can’t do photosynthesis
• Which means they can’t grow



This growth happens when they make sugars
If they can’t make sugars, we can’t get energy
If we don’t have energy, we die!
Water Cycle

Water moves between the ocean, atmosphere,
and land

Leaves the oceans, lakes, rivers, streams, etc. as
evaporation
• Or plants through transpiration



Forms clouds in condensation
Forms rain in precipitation
Eventually returns to oceans/lakes as runoff
The Carbon Cycle
 Why
is it important?
Carbon makes up ALL living things
1.
•
•
•
•
Carbohydrates, proteins, nucleic acids, fats.
It is found in the skeletons of living things
It is found in the air we breathe
Certain forms of it are used to power machines,
including cars!
The Carbon Cycle
 How
it cycles
Carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is used by
plants for photosynthesis
1.
•
•
Then it is either rereleased back into the
atmosphere through cellular respiration
OR when the plant dies and decays it winds up in
the soil where over million of years it gets turned
into coal or oil

This oil is used to make our cars move. And when our
cars let out exhaust, they are letting the carbon back
into the air!
The Nitrogen Cyle
 Why


is it important?
It is found in proteins, DNA, RNA, and it
makes up 78% of the atmosphere/
Dissolved nitrogen, in the forms of ammonia
or nitrate are necessary for plants to grow.
The Nitrogen Cycle
 Happens

1.
2.
in two steps:
When an organism dies and decays, nitrogen
from their bodies enters the soil where……
Nitrogen Fixation – where bacteria in the soil
near the roots of plants turn nitrogen gas
into ammonia or nitrate that the plants can
use to grow
Any extra nitrates or ammonia will be
converted back to nitrogen gas to be
released into the atmosphere though the
process of denitrification