1. NUTRIENT CYCLES

2. ELEMENTS CARBON HYDROGEN NITROGEN OXYGEN PHOSPHORUS SULFUR
6 IMPORTANT ELEMENTS IN BIOLOGY:
CARBON
HYDROGEN
NITROGEN
OXYGEN
PHOSPHORUS
SULFUR

3. ENERGY FLOW
Energy flows through the ecosystem—passed on from one organism to the next through food chains…
ENERGY CANNOT BE RECYCLED!!!

4. MOVEMENT OF MATTER
Matter also flows through ecosystems, however, it CAN BE recycled within and between ecosystems.
Matter moves through ecosystems in BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES.

5. BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES
Biogeochemical cycles connect:
Biological aspects of the biosphere
Geological aspects of the biosphere
Chemical aspects of the biosphere

6. THE WATER CYCLE AKA: THE HYDROLOGIC CYCLE
PRECIPITATION:
The process in which water (in the form of rain, snow, sleet, or hail) falls from clouds in the sky.

7. THE WATER CYCLE AKA: THE HYDROLOGIC CYCLE
EVAPORATION:
Water changing from a liquid to a gas
TRANSPIRATION:
Evaporation of water from a plant’s leaves

8. THE WATER CYCLE AKA: THE HYDROLOGIC CYCLE
CONDENSATION:
The process in which water vapor (a gas) in the air turns into liquid water. Condensing water forms clouds in the sky.
Water drops that form on the outside of a glass of icy water are condensed water.

9. THE WATER CYCLE AKA: THE HYDROLOGIC CYCLE
ACCUMULUATION:
Water pools in large bodies (oceans, seas and lakes).
SEEPAGE:
Water entering the ground
RUN-OFF:
Water leaves land and enters a body of water

12. NUTRIENTS
Nutrients are all the chemical substances that an organism requires to live.

13. NUTRIENTS
Nutrient cycles that play especially prominent roles in the biosphere:
Carbon Cycle
Nitrogen Cycle
Phosphorus Cycle

14. THE CARBON CYCLE
Carbon is especially important to living systems because it is the key ingredient in all living organisms.

15. PROCESSES IN THE CARBON CYCLE
BIOLOGICAL PROCESSES:
Photosynthesis
Respiration
Decomposition of plants and animals

16. PROCESSES IN THE CARBON CYCLE
GEOCHEMICAL PROCESSES:
Release of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere by volcanoes

17. PROCESSES IN THE CARBON CYCLE
MIXED GEOCHEMICAL PROCESSES:
Burial of carbon-rich remains of organisms and their conversion to fossil fuels

18. PROCESSES IN THE CARBON CYCLE
HUMAN ACTIVITY:
Mining
Burning fossil fuels
Cutting/burning forests

19. CARBON RESERVOIRS In the atmosphere as gas Dissolved in the oceans
Underground as coal, petroleum and calcium carbonate rock

20. USING CARBON DIOXIDE
Animals release carbon dioxide as a waste product in cellular respiration.
Plants take in carbon dioxide to use for photosynthesis.

23. THE NITROGEN CYCLE Why do we need nitrogen?
Nitrogen is necessary for organisms to make amino acids…
…which are needed to build proteins!!!

24. In the atmosphere as gas 78% of the air is N2 gas
NITROGEN RESERVOIRS
In the atmosphere as gas
78% of the air is N2 gas

25. PROCESSES IN THE NITROGEN CYCLE
NITROGEN FIXATION:
The process by which bacteria convert nitrogen into ammonia (NH3)
AMMONIFICATION:
Decomposers return nitrogen gas (N2) to the soil as ammonia (NH3)

26. PROCESSES IN THE NITROGEN CYCLE
NITRIFICATION:
The process by which some soil bacteria convert ammonia (NH3) into nitrates (NO3)

27. PROCESSES IN THE NITROGEN CYCLE
DENITRIFICATION:
The process by which some soil bacteria convert nitrates (NO3) into nitrogen gas (N2)
This process releases nitrogen into the atmosphere once again.

31. The story of my fish tank…

32. AMMONIA (NH3) is released through respiration & excretion
Ammonia is very deadly in high concentrations—so enough fish producing ammonia in a small space (like an aquarium)…will kill the fish.

33. Well, this doesn’t have to happen…
Bacteria present in an aquarium will feed on ammonia producing nitrites…another bacteria will feed on nitrites producing nitrates…
Nitrates are not nearly as harmful, and much, much easier to control. You would need OBSCENE amounts for it to do any real damage.

35. Why do we need phosphorus?
THE PHOSPHORUS CYCLE
Why do we need phosphorus?
Phosphorus is necessary for forming DNA and RNA

36. THE PHOSPHORUS CYCLE
Phosphorus remains on land in rock/soil/ocean sediment
Phosphate is released as rocks/sediments break down
Plants absorb the phosphate from the soil or water

39. The primary productivity of an ecosystem is the rate at which organic matter is created by producers.

40. LIMITING NUTRIENTS
A nutrient is “limited” when an ecosystem is in short supply of that nutrient…
…this will limit an organism’s growth.

41. LIMITING NUTRIENTS Ocean and saltwater environments NITROGEN
Streams, lakes and freshwater environments
NITROGEN
PHOSPHORUS

42. LIMITING NUTRIENTS
A large input of a limiting nutrient (P or N) results in an immediate increase in the amount of algae and other producers.
This is called an algal bloom.

43. ALGAL BLOOMS
Algal blooms occur because there are more nutrients available—and therefore producers can grow and reproduce more quickly.

44. WHAT IS THE PROBLEM WITH ALGAL BLOOMS?
The algae and other producers cover the water and this cuts off the sunlight to other plants and animals and decreases the amounts of oxygen.