Download Biogeochemical notes - Liberty Union High School District

Biogeochemical Cycles
All matter cycles…and all cycles
matter!
Carbon Cycle
Carbon moves between the living & nonliving parts
of the ecosystem
2 major driving forces:
 Photosynthesis (plants take CO2 in)
 Cellular respiration (releases CO2)
SINKS take IN carbon and store it
Plants take in carbon dioxide during
photosynthesis and release oxygen
Oceans (especially cold water) & Earth’s crust
SOURCES release carbon OUT
into the atmosphere
Living things during respiration
Combustion (burning fossil fuels)
Fires
Electricity
Climate Change
carbon sinks & sources should be
balanced, but they aren’t
too many carbon sources  greenhouse
effect becomes too strong
Greenhouse effect = heat is trapped in by
gases
Check for Understanding
Which of the following is the best carbon
sink?
Burning fossil fuels
Really hot water
The ocean
Small rocks
Nitrogen Cycle
Nitrogen moves between the living & nonliving
parts of the ecosystem
Nitrogen fixation
Nitrogen gas (N2) is changed into
ammonia by nitrogen-fixing bacteria
Legume plants (beans) have lots of
these good bacteria on their roots
YouTube
Nitrogen Fixation – Seven Wonders of the
Microbe World
Check for Understanding
Where do we get most of our nitrogen
from?
The atmosphere
Food we eat
Eating fertilizer
The ocean