1. The Non-living Environment Obj. 4a

2. The features of the environment that are or once were alive are called biotic factors (biotic means “living”)  Biotic Factors are not the only parts of the environment that are important to life. Most plants cannot grow without sunlight, air, water, and soil Animals cannot survive without air, water, or the warmth that sunlight provides. The non-living, physical features of the environment are called abiotic factors (abiotic means “non-living”) Abiotic vs. Biotic

3. Abiotic factors include:  Air  Water  Soil  Sunlight  Temperature The abiotic factors in an environment often determine what kinds of organisms can live there. The Non-Living Environment

4. Abiotic Factors- Air Air is invisible and plentiful, so it is easily overlooked as an abiotic factor of the environment. The air that surrounds Earth is called the atmosphere.

5. Abiotic Factors- Air Air contains: 78% nitrogen, 21% oxygen, 0.93% argon, 0.03% carbon dioxide, and trace amounts of other gases.  Carbon dioxide is required for photosynthesis  Oxygen is required for respiration  Nitrogen is used to produce proteins and nucleic acids.

6. Abiotic Factors- Water Respiration, digestion, photosynthesis, and many other life processes can only take place in the presence of water.

7. Abiotic Factors- Water Water is essential to life on Earth. It is a major ingredient of the fluid inside the cells of all living things.  In fact most organisms are 50 to 90% water.

8. Abiotic Factors- Water Environments that have plenty of water can support a greater diversity of and a larger number of organisms than environments that have little water.

9. Soil Soil is a mixture of mineral and rock particles, the remains of dead organisms, water and air. It is the topmost layer of the Earth’s crust and it supports plant growth

10. Soil Soil is mostly composed of nonliving rock and mineral particles. Soil contains living organisms and the decaying remains of dead organisms. Soil life includes: Bacteria, Fungi, Insects, & worms Decaying matter found in soil is called humus.

11. Sunlight All life requires energy Sunlight is the energy source for almost all life on Earth. During photosynthesis, producers convert light energy into chemical energy that is stored in sugar molecules. This energy is passed to consumers when they eat producers or other consumers

12. Temperature Sunlight supplies creatures on Earth with light energy for photosynthesis and heat energy for warmth. Most organisms can survive only if their body temperatures stay within a range of 0˚C to 50˚C (32˚ F -122˚ F)  Examples: penguins are adapted for survival in the freezing Antarctic  Camels can survive the scorching temperatures of the Arabian desert

13. Temperature The temperature of a region depends on the amount of sunlight it receives The amount of sunlight depends on the land’s latitude and elevation

14. Cycles in Nature Earth’s abiotic material is cycled through the environment and are reused by different organisms  Water Cycle  Nitrogen Cycle  Carbon Cycle

15. Water Cycle Water Cycle: a model that describes how water moves from the surface of the earth to the atmosphere & back to the surface again Water is constantly used and recycled in our environment

16. Water Cycle: Step 1 Water evaporates from the surfaces of lakes, streams, puddles and oceans Water enters the atmosphere in 3 ways  Evaporation takes place when liquid water changes to water vapor, which is a gas, and enters the atmosphere  Water vapor also enters the atmosphere from plant leaves in a process known as Transpiration  Animals release water vapor into the air when they exhale

17. Water Cycle: Step 2 Water released in the atmosphere cools and condenses on particles of dust in the air forming tiny droplets.  A process that turns gas back into a liquid is called condensation Droplets clump together to form clouds

18. Water Cycle: Step 3 When the clouds become large and heavy enough, the droplets fall to the ground as rain, snow, or other types of precipitation

19. Nitrogen cycle The transfer of nitrogen from the atmosphere to the soil, to living organisms and back to the atmosphere  Nitrogen fixation: a process in which some types of soil bacteria can form the nitrogen compounds plants need  Farmers replace nitrogen by growing nitrogen-fixing crops or using fertilizers that contain nitrogen compounds

21. Carbon Cycle How carbon molecules move between the living and nonliving world  Producers remove carbon dioxide gas from the air during photosynthesis  Respiration is the chemical process that uses oxygen from the air to provide energy for cells Waste product is carbon dioxide Most organisms have respiration