BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES

Law of conservation-atoms atoms neither created or destroyed Same atoms must be passed around again and again CHNOPS make up 98% of living biomass Biogeochemical cycles move atoms (matter, nutrients, CHNOPS) through the air, soil, water, rocks, and living organisms. Recycling of atoms & flow of energy sustain life on earth

BASIC PROCESS Producers incorporate atoms (inorganic form) from nonliving reservoirs and convert to organic molecules Consumers eat producers Decomposers break down organic molecules to return atoms (inorganic form) back to abiotic

What to look for in a cycle? Why is nutrient important? What are the reservoirs for the nutrient involved? What are the driving forces that transfers nutrient from abiotic to biotic and back to abiotic How have humans upset the natural cycling of particular nutrient? Description of cycle

WATER CYCLE-Why important Living things are 75% water Hydrogen in water supplies protons and electrons for photosynthesis Oxygen in water is released as free oxygen into air during photosynthesis Major solvent in living things for chemical reaction to take place in cells and transport Homeostasis-high specific heat

Water Cycle-Reservoirs Ocean Atmosphere Glaciers Fresh water Ground water Living things

Water cycle-Driving force The sun is the major driving force of the water cycle Causes evaporation Causes transpiration When cooler causes precipitation

Water cycle-Human Effect Withdraw large amounts of water Pollute water Deforestation (climate change)-Loss of transpiration- less water in atmosphere & increases temperature dries out soil. Creates desert. More carbon dioxide increases global warming.

Description of water cycle Sun heats water in ocean Evaporates as vapor into air Transpiration from trees also add water vapor to atmosphere Cooler temperatures cause vapor to condense and precipitate Water returns directly to oceans as precipitation or indirectly by runoff

Building blocks of cells-Proteins, Lipids, Carbohydrates, Nucleic acids are carbon based molecules Carbon and oxygen from carbon dioxide is used to make glucose in photosynthesis Carbon Cycle-Why important?

Carbon cycle reservoirs Atmosphere in the form of inorganic carbon dioxide Carbon dioxide dissolved in oceans Living things in form of organic molecules Underground-fossil fuels Rocks-limestone (calcium carbonate)

Carbon cycle driving force Photosynthesis captures inorganic carbon in form of carbon dioxide and converts it to organic molecules (glucose) Cell respiration returns carbon dioxide to abiotic

Carbon cycle-Human effect Humans are adding excess carbon dioxide to atmosphere through burning of fossil fuels and deforestation (loss of carbon dioxide removal)

Carbon cycle description Carbon dioxide is captured by plants and converted into organic molecules by photosynthesis Consumers eat plant and carbon ids transferred Organism die and decomposers break organic molecules back to carbon dioxide and released back to air Cell respiration also returns carbon dioxide back to air. Burning fossil fuels & volcanoes increase carbon dioxide in air

Nitrogen Cycle-Why important Important in making nucleic acids, ATP, and Amino acids

Nitrogen Cycle-Reservoir Atmosphere is 75% free nitrogen

Nitrogen Cycle driving force Bacteria Nitrogen fixing bacteria capture free nitrogen from air and convert it to ammonia Nitrifying bacteria-convert ammonium to nitrates and nitrites Denitrifying bacteria convert nitritrites back to free nitrogen Ammonifying bacteria convert organic molecules to ammonium

Nitrogen Cycle-human effect Fertilizers contain large amounts of nitrogen-run off in stream create eutrophication Nitrogen released into air by factories combine with water to form nitric acid-acid rain Farming depletes soil of nitrogen

Nitrogen cycle description Free atmospheric nitrogen is converted by nitrogen fixing bacteria found in soil and root nodules of legumes to ammonia Plants can use ammonia but ammonia is usually converted to nitrates and nitrites by nitrifying bacteria which plants take up Consumers eat plants Organisms die and ammonifying bacteria convert back to ammonia which can be nitrified and reused or denitrified by denitrifying bacteria to free nitrogen again.

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