1. Section 3: Cycling of Matter
Essential nutrients are cycled through biogeochemical processes. K
What I Know W
What I Want to Find Out L
What I Learned

2. Essential Questions
How do nutrients move through biotic and abiotic parts of an ecosystem?
Why are nutrients important to living organisms?
What are the biogeochemical cycles of nutrients and how are they alike?
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Cycling of Matter

3. Vocabulary Review New cycle matter nutrient biogeochemical cycle
nitrogen fixation
denitrification
Cycling of Matter
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4. Cycles in the Biosphere
Natural processes cycle matter and nutrients through the biosphere.
Matter is anything that takes up space and has mass.
A nutrient is a chemical substance that an organism needs to obtain from its environment in order to survive.
The cycling of nutrients through the biosphere involves both living organisms and physical processes.
The exchange of matter through the biosphere is called the biogeochemical cycle.
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Cycling of Matter

5. Cycles in the Biosphere
The Water Cycle
Water evaporates from bodies of water, soil, and organisms.
Water returns from the atmosphere in the form of precipitation.
All living organisms rely on fresh water, which constitutes only ~3% of the water on Earth.
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Cycling of Matter

6. The Water Cycle FPO Animation
Add link to concepts in motion animation from page 46 (Figure 17) here.
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Cycling of Matter

7. Add link to BrainPOP from page 46 here.
Water Cycle
BrainPOP
FPO
Add link to BrainPOP from page 46 here.
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Cycling of Matter

8. Cycles in the Biosphere
The carbon and oxygen cycles
Carbon and oxygen often make up molecules essential for life.
Carbon and oxygen recycle relatively quickly through living organisms.
Carbon and oxygen enter a long-term cycle when dead material is buried.
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Cycling of Matter

9. Add link to concepts in motion animation from page 47(Figure 18) here.
The Carbon Cycle
Animation
FPO
Add link to concepts in motion animation from page 47(Figure 18) here.
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Cycling of Matter

10. Cycles in the Biosphere
The nitrogen cycle
The capture and conversion of nitrogen into a form that is useable by plants is called nitrogen fixation.
Nitrogen is fixed by bacteria, or by electrical storms.
Nitrogen returns to the atmosphere through denitrification – where bacteria convert fixed nitrogen back into nitrogen gas.
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Cycling of Matter

11. The Nitrogen Cycle FPO Animation
Add link to concepts in motion animation from page 48 (Figure 20) here.
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Cycling of Matter

12. Cycles in the Biosphere
The Phosphorus Cycle
Phosphorus is essential for the growth and development of organisms.
Phosphorus cycles quickly as phosphates through sediments, plants, and consumers.
Long-term, phosphorus is weathered or eroded from rocks and added to the cycle.
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Cycling of Matter

13. The Phosphorus Cycle FPO Animation
Add link to concepts in motion animation from page 49 (Figure 21) here.
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Cycling of Matter

14. Review Essential Questions Vocabulary
How do nutrients move through biotic and abiotic parts of an ecosystem?
Why are nutrients important to living organisms?
What are the biogeochemical cycles of nutrients and how are they alike?
Vocabulary
matter
nutrient
biogeochemical cycle
nitrogen fixation
denitrification
Cycling of Matter
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