biogeochemical cycles nitrogen cycle water cycle carbon cycle

BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES

Nitrogen CycleWater CycleCarbon Cycle

Energy Flows, Matter Cycles

The energy of the sun is used by plants to produce living molecules and systems.

Energy can be transformed and passed along, but is always being used up

Matter (atoms, molecules, materials) can never be used up - they always remain in a cycle

CYCLES

The materials that make up living things cycle between non-living (such as air, water, or rock) and living systems (plants, animals, food chains)

Most important cycles: Water Carbon Nitrogen

Nitrogen Cycle

Nitrogen CycleN2

(in the air)

Nutrient Nitrogen (in soil)• Ammonia• Nitrate• Nitrite

Producers

Consumers

Decomposers

•Lightning•Nitrogen-fixing bacteria

Denitrifying

bacteria

Nitrogen CycleN2

(in the air)


Producers

Consumers

Decomposers


Denitrifying

bacteria

Nitrogen (in the form of the N2 molecule) makes up 79% of the air

Nitrogen CycleN2

(in the air)


Producers

Consumers

Decomposers

•Lightning

•Nitrogen-fixing bacteria

Denitrifying

bacteria

N2 is converted to nutrient nitrogen by bacteria and lightning

Nitrogen CycleN2

(in the air)

Nutrient Nitrogen (in soil)• Ammonia - NH3

• Nitrate - NO3-

• Nitrite - NO2=

Producers

Consumers

Decomposers


Denitrifying

bacteria

The forms of nutrient nitrogen include ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite

Nitrogen CycleN2

(in the air)


Producers

Consumers

Decomposers


Denitrifying

bacteria

Plants and other producers use nutrient nitrogen to build proteins

Nitrogen CycleN2

(in the air)


Producers

Consumers

Decomposers


Denitrifying

bacteria

Animals and other consumers get their protein through food chains

Nitrogen CycleN2

(in the air)


Producers

Consumers

Decomposers


Denitrifying

bacteria

Decomposers convert proteins from wastes or dead creatures back into nutrients

Nitrogen CycleN2

(in the air)


Producers

Consumers

Decomposers


Denitrifying

bacteria

Together, these make up the Food Chain part of the nitrogen cycle.

Nitrogen CycleN2

(in the air)


Producers

Consumers

Decomposers


De-nitrifying bacteria

De-nitrifying bacteria in the soil convert nutrient nitrogen back into N2, which returns to the air

Nitrogen CycleN2

(in the air)


Producers

Consumers

Decomposers



This completes the air-soil-air loop of the nitrogen cycle

Nitrogen CycleN2

(in the air)


Producers

Consumers

Decomposers



The two loops of the nitrogen cycle include the air loop and the food chain loop.

Nitrogen CycleN2

(in the air)


Producers

Consumers

Decomposers



SOIL is the important link between the two loops of the nitrogen cycle.

Nitrogen CycleN2

(in the air)


Producers

Consumers

Decomposers



The Water Cycle

Water Cycle

INFILTRATION

PRECIPITATION

SURFACE WATER

RUN-OFF

EVAPORATION

TRANSPIRATION

CONDENSATION

AQUIFER

WATER VAPOR

SURFACE WATER: Water on the surface of the ground or water bodies (rivers, lakes, swamps, marshes, the oceans).

Water Cycle

INFILTRATION

PRECIPITATION

SURFACE WATER

RUN-OFF

EVAPORATION

TRANSPIRATION

CONDENSATION

AQUIFER

WATER VAPOR

EVAPORATION: Warmed by the energy of the sun, Surface Water goes into the air.

Water Cycle

INFILTRATION

PRECIPITATION

SURFACE WATER

RUN-OFF

EVAPORATION

TRANSPIRATION

CONDENSATION

AQUIFER

WATER VAPOR

TRANSPIRATION: Water goes into the air through the veins and leaves of plants.

Water Cycle

INFILTRATION

PRECIPITATION

SURFACE WATER

RUN-OFF

EVAPORATION

TRANSPIRATION

CONDENSATION

AQUIFER

WATER VAPOR

EVAPO-TRANSPIRATION: A combination of evaporation and transpiration.

Water Cycle

INFILTRATION

PRECIPITATION

SURFACE WATER

RUN-OFF

EVAPORATION

TRANSPIRATION

CONDENSATION

AQUIFER

WATER VAPOR

WATER VAPOR: The water in the air that we can not see. The water molecules are fully dissolved in the air.

Water Cycle

INFILTRATION

PRECIPITATION

SURFACE WATER

RUN-OFF

EVAPORATION

TRANSPIRATION

CONDENSATION

AQUIFER

WATER VAPOR

CONDENSATION: When the air cools, it can’t hold as much water in the form of

vapor. Some of the water leaves the vapor and sticks to small particles of dust,

forming tiny droplets.

Water Cycle

INFILTRATION

PRECIPITATION

SURFACE WATER

RUN-OFF

EVAPORATION

TRANSPIRATION

CONDENSATION

AQUIFER

WATER VAPOR

CLOUDS: lots of condensation, lots of tiny droplets. When it’s close to the

ground, we refer to it as fog.

Water Cycle

INFILTRATION

PRECIPITATION

SURFACE WATER

RUN-OFF

EVAPORATION

TRANSPIRATION

CONDENSATION

AQUIFER

WATER VAPORCLOUDS: When rising, moist air is cool

enough that condensation happens, clouds form. The height at which clouds form depends on the humidity and the temperature.

Water Cycle

INFILTRATION

PRECIPITATION

SURFACE WATER

RUN-OFF

EVAPORATION

TRANSPIRATION

CONDENSATION

AQUIFER

WATER VAPOR

PRECIPITATION: When the cloud’s condensation droplets are so big that the air’s

energy (turbulence) can’t hold them up any more, they fall to

the ground.

Water Cycle

INFILTRATION

PRECIPITATION

SURFACE WATER

RUN-OFF

EVAPORATION

TRANSPIRATION

CONDENSATION

AQUIFER

WATER VAPOR

THERE ARE MANY FORMS OF PRECIPITATION:

Rain, snow, sleet, hail, dew, frost.

Water Cycle

INFILTRATION

PRECIPITATION

SURFACE WATER

RUN-OFF

EVAPORATION

TRANSPIRATION

CONDENSATION

AQUIFER

WATER VAPOR

INFILTRATION: Water flows in among the pores in the soil and rock, soaking

into the ground.

Water Cycle

INFILTRATION

PRECIPITATION

SURFACE WATER

RUN-OFF

EVAPORATION

TRANSPIRATION

CONDENSATION

AQUIFER

WATER VAPOR

GROUNDWATER: All the water below the surface

of the ground.

Water Cycle

INFILTRATION

PRECIPITATION

SURFACE WATER

RUN-OFF

EVAPORATION

TRANSPIRATION

CONDENSATION

AQUIFER

WATER VAPOR

AQUIFER: Where the groundwater has collected in underground pools, flowing slowly through soil or rocks.

Water Cycle

INFILTRATION

PRECIPITATION

SURFACE WATER

RUN-OFF

EVAPORATION

TRANSPIRATION

CONDENSATION

AQUIFER

WATER VAPOR

WATER TABLE: The top surface of an underground aquifer.

Water Cycle

INFILTRATION

PRECIPITATION

SURFACE WATER

RUN-OFF

EVAPORATION

TRANSPIRATION

CONDENSATION

AQUIFER

WATER VAPOR

SPRINGS: Any location where groundwater finds its way to the surface..

Water Cycle

INFILTRATION

PRECIPITATION

SURFACE WATER

RUN-OFF

EVAPORATION

TRANSPIRATION

CONDENSATION

AQUIFER

WATER VAPOR

RUN-OFF: When the ground is saturated (can’t hold any more infiltration), any more water collects or flows over the surface.

Water Cycle

INFILTRATION

PRECIPITATION

SURFACE WATER

RUN-OFF

EVAPORATION

TRANSPIRATION

CONDENSATION

AQUIFER

WATER VAPOR

The Carbon Cycle

The Carbon Cycle

Photosynthesis

Respiration

Combustion

Decomposition

CO2

H2O

C6H12O6

O2

Sun ENERGY

ENERGY

Coal/Oil/Natural Gas

The Carbon Cycle

Photosynthesis

Respiration

Combustion

Decomposition

CO2

H2O

C6H12O6

O2

Sun ENERGY

ENERGY


Atmospheric Carbon – in the form of CO2 – makes up a tiny 0.039% of our atmosphere, yet is crucial for life as we know it.

The Carbon Cycle

Photosynthesis

Respiration

Combustion

Decomposition

CO2

H2O

C6H12O6

O2

Sun ENERGY

ENERGY


Plants, algae, and cyanobacteria can do photosynthesis: they use the energy of the sun to bring together low energy CO2 and H2O, and produce high energy glucose (C6H12O6) and oxygen (O2)

The Carbon Cycle

Photosynthesis

Respiration

Combustion

Decomposition

CO2

H2O

C6H12O6

O2

Sun ENERGY

ENERGY


The energy molecule, glucose, a simple sugar, can be considered the primary building block for all the other high energy compounds of life.

The Carbon Cycle

Photosynthesis

Respiration

Combustion

Decomposition

CO2

H2O

C6H12O6

O2

Sun ENERGY

ENERGY


Some of the oxygen produced by photosynthesis is used by the same organism that produced it, and the excess is released into the environment - the air or water.

The Carbon Cycle

Photosynthesis

Respiration

Combustion

Decomposition

CO2

H2O

C6H12O6

O2

Sun ENERGY

ENERGY


The C6H12O6 builds the plant’s body, which can become the base of a food chain. So, here, the C6H12O6 represents all of the carbon-based biomass of an ecosystem.

The Carbon Cycle

Photosynthesis

Respiration

Combustion

Decomposition

CO2

H2O

C6H12O6

O2

Sun ENERGY

ENERGY

Coal/Oil/Natural GasIn rare circumstances, some of the carbon has avoided

being consumed or decomposed, and became trapped in the earth, where, over many millions of years, it has become the high energy minerals, coal, petroleum, and natural gas.

The Carbon Cycle

Photosynthesis

Respiration

Combustion

Decomposition

CO2

H2O

C6H12O6

O2

Sun ENERGY

ENERGY


The carbon eventually cycles back to the air or water by one of three processes:

respiration, decomposition, or combustion.

All of these release CO2, H2O, and stored energy back to the environment.

The Carbon Cycle

Photosynthesis

Respiration

Combustion

Decomposition

CO2

H2O

C6H12O6

O2

Sun ENERGY

ENERGY


Respiration is the chemical process inside cells that

breaks down glucose into CO2.

•While it requires oxygen to complete the process, the CO2

molecules come from the C6H12O6.•The released energy is captured in

the form of small, rechargeable energy molecules that power all the

energy needs of the organism.

The Carbon Cycle

Photosynthesis

Respiration

Combustion

Decomposition

CO2

H2O

C6H12O6

O2

Sun ENERGY

ENERGY


As in the nitrogen cycle, decomposition is the breaking down of large, high energy molecules of life, into low energy building blocks.•While some of the energy of the large molecules is used by decomposer organisms, all eventually releases to the environment.

The Carbon Cycle

Photosynthesis

Respiration

CombustionDecomposition

CO2

H2O

C6H12O6

O2

Sun ENERGY

ENERGY


Combustion is burning: a rapid chemical reaction of the

carbon-based molecule with oxygen,

giving off CO2, H2O, and energy

The Carbon Cycle

Photosynthesis

Respiration

Combustion

Decomposition

CO2

H2O

C6H12O6

O2

Sun ENERGY

ENERGY


For the last 150 years, we have been solving our society’s energy needs by mining and pumping these three fossil fuels from the

earth. This has added to the CO2 in the

atmosphere, contributing to global warming.

The Carbon Cycle

PhotosynthesisRespiration

CombustionDecomposition

CO2

H2O

C6H12O6

O2

Sun ENERGY

ENERGY


biogeochemical cycles nitrogen cycle water cycle carbon cycle

Documents

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air loop

food chain loop

living molecules

systems plants

living things

important link

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