Download Cycling of Matter and Nutrient Cycles

Cycling of Matter and Nutrient
Cycles
The Biosphere
• Biosphere is the living surface of earth
• Lithosphere is the hard part of the
earths surface
• Hydrosphere is the surface covered in
water, both salt and fresh
• Atmosphere is the layer of air above the
surface
Water Cycle
Carbon Cycle
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Carbon Cycle
• Air contains carbon in the form of CO2
• Plants use light to make sugars which contain carbon
• Organisms break down sugar molecules for energy and
release carbon as waste
• Burning fossil fuels and woods release CO2
• Organisms die and their carbon containing bodies
decompose by bacteria and fungi and other decomposers.
CO2 is released.
• Under certain conditions the remains of some dead
organisms may gradually change into fossil fuels, gas,
crude oil, coal (all rich in carbon)
Nitrogen Cycle
Key Ideas:
Earths atmosphere is 78% nitrogen (N2)
• Most organisms cannot use nitrogen in this format so it must be
converted (fixated)
• Terrestrial Fixation:
• The soil contains bacteria that convert nitrogen to ammonium (NH4).
Other soil bacteria take this ammonia and convert it into nitrate where
plants can then absorb it. Nitrogen is passed through the food chain
from this point.
• Aquatic Fixation:
• Cyanobacteria convert nitrogen into ammonium which is absorbed by
plants.
• Fixation by Lightning:
• High electricity converts atmospheric nitrogen into nitrates
(NO3)
• Humans convert nitrogen into ammonium and nitrates with
high pressure and temperature to manufacture fertilizers
• Different bacteria in land and water also can convert
nitrates back to nitrogen to be released into the
atmosphere.
• In sustainable ecosystems excess nitrogen is stored in
rocks (lithosphere)
Nitrogen Cycle
• Use your text book to complete the
worksheet in your package. Pg. 16
Phosphorous Cycle
Phosporous Cycle
• Use textbook to fill in Cycle in your
package. Pg. 17
Human Activities and Nutrient
Cycle effects
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Fertilizers and the Phosphorus Cycle
• Run off from fertilizers cause algal blooms
blocks light for submerged plants, algae and
other plants eventually die off, bacteria use
oxygen during decomposition so oxygen
levels get too low for fish to survive so they
die off.
• Eutrophication: A process in which nutrient
levels in aquatic ecosystems increase leading
to an increase in the populations of primary
producers (algae)
Homework
• Pg 9, # 1-4
• Pg 19 # 5-8
• Pg 20 # 1-8