BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES Nitrogen Cycle Water Cycle Carbon 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

N2N2 (in the air) Nutrient Nitrogen (in soil) Ammonia Nitrate Nitrite Producers Consumers Decomposers Lightning Nitrogen- fixing bacteria Denitrifying bacteria

Nitrogen Cycle N2N2 (in the air) Nutrient Nitrogen (in soil) Ammonia Nitrate Nitrite Producers Consumers Decomposers Lightning Nitrogen-fixing bacteria Denitrifying bacteria Nitrogen (in the form of the N 2 molecule) makes up 79% of the air

Nitrogen Cycle N2N2 (in the air) Nutrient Nitrogen (in soil) Ammonia Nitrate Nitrite Producers Consumers Decomposers Lightning Nitrogen- fixing bacteria Denitrifying bacteria N 2 is converted to nutrient nitrogen by bacteria and lightning

Nitrogen Cycle N2N2 (in the air) Nutrient Nitrogen (in soil) Ammonia - NH 3 Nitrate - NO 3 - Nitrite - NO 2 = Producers Consumers Decomposers Lightning Nitrogen-fixing bacteria Denitrifying bacteria The forms of nutrient nitrogen include ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite

Nitrogen Cycle N2N2 (in the air) Nutrient Nitrogen (in soil) Ammonia Nitrate Nitrite Producers Consumers Decomposers Lightning Nitrogen-fixing bacteria Denitrifying bacteria Plants and other producers use nutrient nitrogen to build proteins

Nitrogen Cycle N2N2 (in the air) Nutrient Nitrogen (in soil) Ammonia Nitrate Nitrite Producers Consumers Decomposers Lightning Nitrogen-fixing bacteria Denitrifying bacteria Animals and other consumers get their protein through food chains

Nitrogen Cycle N2N2 (in the air) Nutrient Nitrogen (in soil) Ammonia Nitrate Nitrite Producers Consumers Decomposers Lightning Nitrogen-fixing bacteria Denitrifying bacteria Decomposers convert proteins from wastes or dead creatures back into nutrients

Nitrogen Cycle N2N2 (in the air) Nutrient Nitrogen (in soil) Ammonia Nitrate Nitrite Producers Consumers Decomposers Lightning Nitrogen-fixing bacteria Denitrifying bacteria Together, these make up the Food Chain part of the nitrogen cycle.

Nitrogen Cycle N2N2 (in the air) Nutrient Nitrogen (in soil) Ammonia Nitrate Nitrite Producers Consumers Decomposers Lightning Nitrogen-fixing bacteria De-nitrifying bacteria De-nitrifying bacteria in the soil convert nutrient nitrogen back into N 2, which returns to the air

Nitrogen Cycle N2N2 (in the air) Nutrient Nitrogen (in soil) Ammonia Nitrate Nitrite Producers Consumers Decomposers Lightning Nitrogen-fixing bacteria De-nitrifying bacteria This completes the air-soil-air loop of the nitrogen cycle

Nitrogen Cycle N2N2 (in the air) Nutrient Nitrogen (in soil) Ammonia Nitrate Nitrite Producers Consumers Decomposers Lightning Nitrogen- fixing bacteria De-nitrifying bacteria The two loops of the nitrogen cycle include the air loop and the food chain loop.

Nitrogen Cycle N2N2 (in the air) Nutrient Nitrogen (in soil) Ammonia Nitrate Nitrite Producers Consumers Decomposers Lightning Nitrogen- fixing bacteria De-nitrifying bacteria SOIL is the important link between the two loops of the nitrogen cycle.

Nitrogen Cycle N2N2 (in the air) Nutrient Nitrogen (in soil) Ammonia Nitrate Nitrite Producers Consumers Decomposers Lightning Nitrogen- fixing bacteria De-nitrifying bacteria

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 VAPOR CLOUDS: 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

Photosynthesis Respiration Combustion Decomposition CO 2 H2OH2O C 6 H 12 O 6 O2O2 Sun ENERGY Coal/Oil/Natural Gas

The Carbon Cycle Photosynthesis Respiration Combustion Decomposition CO 2 H2OH2O C 6 H 12 O 6 O2O2 Sun ENERGY Coal/Oil/Natural Gas Atmospheric Carbon – in the form of CO 2 – 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 CO 2 H2OH2O C 6 H 12 O 6 O2O2 Sun ENERGY Coal/Oil/Natural Gas Plants, algae, and cyanobacteria can do photosynthesis: they use the energy of the sun to bring together low energy CO 2 and H 2 O, and produce high energy glucose (C 6 H 12 O 6 ) and oxygen (O 2 )

The Carbon Cycle Photosynthesis Respiration Combustion Decomposition CO 2 H2OH2O C 6 H 12 O 6 O2O2 Sun ENERGY Coal/Oil/Natural Gas 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 CO 2 H2OH2O C 6 H 12 O 6 O2O2 Sun ENERGY Coal/Oil/Natural Gas 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 CO 2 H2OH2O C 6 H 12 O 6 O2O2 Sun ENERGY Coal/Oil/Natural Gas The C 6 H 12 O 6 builds the plant’s body, which can become the base of a food chain. So, here, the C 6 H 12 O 6 represents all of the carbon-based biomass of an ecosystem.

The Carbon Cycle Photosynthesis Respiration Combustion Decomposition CO 2 H2OH2O C 6 H 12 O 6 O2O2 Sun ENERGY Coal/Oil/Natural Gas In 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 CO 2 H2OH2O C 6 H 12 O 6 O2O2 Sun ENERGY Coal/Oil/Natural Gas The carbon eventually cycles back to the air or water by one of three processes: respiration, decomposition, or combustion. All of these release CO 2, H 2 O, and stored energy back to the environment.

The Carbon Cycle Photosynthesis Respiration Combustion Decomposition CO 2 H2OH2O C 6 H 12 O 6 O2O2 Sun ENERGY Coal/Oil/Natural Gas Respiration is the chemical process inside cells that breaks down glucose into CO 2. While it requires oxygen to complete the process, the CO 2 molecules come from the C 6 H 12 O 6. 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 CO 2 H2OH2O C 6 H 12 O 6 O2O2 Sun ENERGY Coal/Oil/Natural Gas 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 Combustion Decomposition CO 2 H2OH2O C 6 H 12 O 6 O2O2 Sun ENERGY Coal/Oil/Natural Gas 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 CO 2 H2OH2O C 6 H 12 O 6 O2O2 Sun ENERGY Coal/Oil/Natural Gas 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 CO 2 in the atmosphere, contributing to global warming.

The Carbon Cycle Photosynthesis Respiration Combustion Decomposition CO 2 H2OH2O C 6 H 12 O 6 O2O2 Sun ENERGY Coal/Oil/Natural Gas