Cycling of Matter in Ecosystems The Water Cycle The Carbon Cycle The Nitrogen Cycle The Phosphorus Cycle

Biogeochemical Cycles Matter cannot be made or destroyed. All water and nutrients must be produced or obtained from chemicals already present in the environment. This happens through biogeochemical cycles - the movement of matter through biotic and abiotic environment.

We will investigate four biogeochemical cycles: The Water (Hydrologic) Cycle The Carbon Cycle The Nitrogen Cycle The Phosphorus Cycle

The Water (Hydrologic) Cycle Liquid water evaporates, forming water vapour that moves through the atmosphere The vapour condenses, forming liquid water and ice which falls to Earth

The Water Cycle Fallen water moves around Earth’s surface as lakes, rivers and oceans Water is taken up by plants and is released via transpiration or consumed by animals The Water Cycle Rap

Bill Nye – The Water Cycle

The Carbon Cycle The biogeochemical cycle in which carbon is cycled through the lithosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere. Carbon is an important element, because it is the basic building block of living things.

The Carbon Cycle Carbon is recycled in the carbon cycle through several processes, but mostly though photosynthesis and respiration. The Carbon Cycle

Other Processes that Affect the Carbon Cycle CO2 is held dissolved in the oceans.

Bogs can store huge amounts of organic carbon. Decaying matter is often trapped, but no oxygen is available to help recycle it. 2400 yr old man found in Denmark

Humans increase the amount of CO2 in the air by burning fossil fuels and by removing vegetation.

Why? Why does destroying plants increase CO2 in the air?

Why? Getting rid of plants: prevents trees from taking up CO2 for photosynthesis This leads to more CO2 in the air

The Nitrogen Cycle The series of processes in which nitrogen compounds (nitrates) are moved through the biotic and abiotic environment. Most of the nitrogen is taken from the atmosphere (N2) by soil bacteria in a process called nitrogen fixation

Nitrogen in the soil is available to producers, and pass from producer to consumer through the food web. Denitrifying bacteria feed on dead plants, animals and animal waste to release nitrogen gas into atmosphere. The Nitrogen Cycle

The Nitrogen Cycle

The Phosphorus Cycle Phosphorus is stored in the lithosphere (rocks and sediment) When rocks are broken down phosphorus is released as (phosphates) PO43- into the soil Phosphorus is also used in many fertilizers and detergents which can leak into the waterways

The Phosphorus Cycle On land, phosphorus is absorbed by plants. Animals then eat the plants and the phosphorus is transferred to them. PO43-

The Phosphorus Cycle Phosphorus is a key component of life making up a vital component of DNA and other life sustaining molecules. When the animals and plants die, decomposers (bacteria) break down the dead organism and release the phosphorus back into the soil, continuing the cycle.

The Phosphorus Cycle Runoff (flow into lakes and ponds) brings the phosphorus into our waterways

The Phosphorus Cycle