Cycles That Occur in Nature
Water cycle Moves between atmosphere, oceans & land 1 – water evaporates from the ocean 2 – water also evaporates from plants during the process of transpiration
3 – The evaporated water then enters atmosphere as a gas (water vapor) 4 – Vapor condenses to form clouds 5 – when large enough, water will fall back to earth as precipitation
6 – Water travels along the surface as runoff or seepage
7 – Plants remove water by root uptake Water is always equal in the cycle. The amount never changes
Concerns(due to humans) Groundwater depletion due to irrigation Unsafe drinking water due to pollution or animal waste. (causes 80% of diseases in undeveloped countries)
Carbon cycle Where is carbon stored?
Carbon cycle Where is carbon stored? In EVERY LIVING THING!!!!
Photosynthesis: taken in by plants & converted to sugar
Cellular Respiration: released
Erosion & volcanoes: releases CO 2 in the air & ocean
Decomposition: released (may be stored underground as fossil fuels)
Human Activities: Mining Burning fossil fuels Cutting / burning down forests
Nitrogen cycle Nitrogen –make up proteins and DNA Where is most of it stored? In the atmosphere!! (79%) Plants and animals cannot take nitrogen from the atmosphere
1. Bacteria converts nitrogen gas into ammonia in a process called: nitrogen fixation. 2. A different bacteria converts ammonia into nitrates and nitrites needed by plants to make proteins 3. Plants take in nitrogen (as nitrates or nitrites) 4. Consumers get nitrogen by eating producers
5. Organisms die, and return nitrogen to soil as ammonia
6. Some ammonia taken up by producers 7. Nitrates are converted into nitrogen gas by bacteria in a process called denitrification 8. Nitrogen gas returns to the atmosphere
Human activities can also add Nitrogen: Use of fertilizers (travel by runoff) Dumping raw sewage Burning fossil fuels & wood Leads to eutrophication (the end result is loss of oxygen from the water)
Phosphorus Cycle 1 – stored in rock (land & ocean floor) & soil 2 - Released by weathering & erosion 3 – travels in runoff
4 – enters the ocean & gets used by some marine animals 5 – travels through the food web 6 – returned to soil through waste
Phosphorous Cycle
Human Activities