1. Biogeochemical Cycles

2. Introduction
There are many different types of energy and matter in our ecosystem
All of the biotic and abiotic factors are composed of different elements and energy
The unique structure of elements and energy compose everything on our earth

3. Introduction Matter and energy are never created or destroyed
No matter the size, heat or power in a reaction
Energy will never be created or destroyed
Matter will never be created or destroyed
This is an important physical property that helps us understand our world

4. DEMO

5. Introduction
The same physical properties hold true for our environment
Matter and energy are never created, lost and destroyed
This means that the CO2 that you breathe out will never be lost

6. Changing of Matter
Matter and energy can change forms and still never be lost or destroyed
We can change water to ice and still keep the H2O
We can change CO2 and make it into glucose

7. Biogeochemical Cycles
Since matter and energy are never destroyed, often times energy is moved from place to place in an ecosystem
Often times specific ecologists can predict where certain types of energy and matter will move to

8. Biogeochemical Cycles
The predictable movements of matter and energy in our environment are described as biogeochemical cycles
These cycles move all of the matter and energy in our environment

9. The Role of Water Water is crucial for many of life's functions
Since cells are made up of 70% to 90% water, it is essential that water is available
The availability of water is one of the main factors of life in terrestrial systems

10. The Role of Water Terrestrial systems need water in order to function
Think about the ecosystems on earth
The ecosystems that do not have access to water do not support a large amount of life

11. Water In Ecosystems
Organisms hold some of the water that is in terrestrial ecosystems
This water is held in the cells of the organisms
However this water is relatively small
This water is also being used in cell processes and has to be replaced

12. Water In Ecosystems
For us to find enough water for life to be maintained, we cannot rely on water already in organisms
Saltwater and freshwater make up the largest stockpiles of water on Earth
About 3% of all free water is freshwater
About 97% of all free water is saltwater

13. Water volume, in cubic miles Water volume, in cubic kilometers
Water source
Water volume, in cubic miles
Water volume, in cubic kilometers
Percent of freshwater
Percent of total water
Oceans, Seas, & Bays
321,000,000
1,338,000,000 --
96.5
Ice caps, Glaciers, & Permanent Snow
5,773,000
24,064,000
68.7
1.74
Ground water
5,614,000
23,400,000
1.7
    Fresh
2,526,000
10,530,000
30.1
0.76
    Saline
3,088,000
12,870,000
0.94
Soil Moisture
3,959
16,500
0.05
0.001
Ground Ice & Permafrost
71,970
300,000
0.86
0.022
Lakes
42,320
176,400
0.013
21,830
91,000
0.26
0.007
20,490
85,400
0.006
Atmosphere
3,095
12,900
0.04
Swamp Water
2,752
11,470
0.03
0.0008
Rivers
509
2,120
0.0002
Biological Water
269
1,120
0.003
0.0001

14. Water in Ecosystems
The water that makes up ecosystems can be trapped below or above ground
Water that is trapped under rock and soil is ground water
Water in the air is water vapor

15. The Water Cycle
The water cycle has no starting point, but we will start from the ocean
The sun heats up the large surface area in the ocean and causes some of the water to evaporate
This changes the water from a liquid to a gas

16. The Water Cycle
Wind and rising air currents will take the evaporated water into the atmosphere
In the atmosphere water is turned back into droplets of water or ice because of the lower temperatures
These droplets of water and ice can be seen from the ground and are known as clouds

17. The Water Cycle
The water will then fall out of the sky as precipitation
Precipitation can take many forms, and most are based on the temperature in the atmosphere
Rain
Snow
Sleet

18. The Water Cycle
The precipitation covers the ground and permeates the soil with moisture
This water is then accessible to organisms on terrestrial ecosystems

19. The Water Cycle
When the precipitation hits land it can travel back into surface or underwater rivers and streams
This is considered runoff
It helps feed most bodies of water on land

20. The Water Cycle
The rivers and streams wind across the landscape and may interconnect
Smaller rivers may combine to create bigger rivers
However all rivers and streams end up feeding into the ocean

21. The Water Cycle
By rivers feeding back into the oceans, the water cycle becomes complete
There is no start or end point to the water cycle
It continually moves water around the planet

23. Review http://education.jlab.org/reading/water_cycle.html

24. Carbon Carbon is one of the six essential molecules for life
Carbon comprises many of the macromolecules
Proteins
Carbohydrates
Lipids

25. Carbon
Carbon has to be physically changed for most organisms to be able to use it
Carbon enters living systems from photosynthesis
During photosynthesis CO2 is changed to C6H12O6
The sugars can be used by organisms

26. Carbon Carbon exists in our environment in four main categories
Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
Carbonate Rocks (Limestone and Coral)
Deposits of oil and natural gas
Dead organic matter (humus)

27. The Enter and Exit of Carbon
The concentration of carbon in living matter is very high
It is around 18%
The concentration of carbon in abiotic aspects of the earth is very low
It is around .2%
This means living organisms have to retain their carbon because they cannot get it from the earth

28. Enter and Exit of Carbon
Carbon is then returned by organisms breaking down C6H12O6 and turning it into CO2
This happens during cellular respiration
All organisms perform cellular respiration

29. The Carbon Cycle The Carbon cycle has no beginning or end
Much like the water cycle we could start from any point and complete the cycle
We are going to start at a producer level

30. The Carbon Cycle
Producers take carbon dioxide and use it create sugars
Some of those sugars are incorporated into structure
Cellulose and Sucrose
Some of those sugars are used for energy as glucose

31. The Carbon Cycle A primary consumer will eat the producers
They will take the carbohydrates and use the glucose from them to build their own structural tissues
Structural tissues are made of large amounts of carbon

32. The Carbon Cycle
Any number of secondary consumers can then gain carbon from the primary consumer
The carbon is passed from the animal tissues into the secondary consumer

33. The Carbon Cycle
Both the primary and secondary consumers give carbon back to the environment
They give it back to the environment in the form of CO2 that they breathe out
This completes our natural carbon cycle

34. The Carbon Cycle

35. Video

36. Human Impact Humans produce large amount of CO2
This is through the burning of natural gasses and fossil fuels
We do this in industry, transportation and heating

37. Human Impact
By burning fossil fuels humans add a more CO2 than the environment can deal with
The CO2 cannot be processed fast enough by the producers
This creates a large input to one part of the cycle

38. The Human Impact
The CO2 humans produce is starting to increase in our atmosphere
This CO2 is a greenhouse gas that has been linked to global warming

39. Video

40. Composition of Air Air is composed of different compounds and elements
It has around around 78% Nitrogen
In the form of (N2)
It has around 21% oxygen
In the form of (O2)
It is composed of around 1.5% other compounds
Argon .9%
CO2 .03%
Other compounds .5%

41. Composition of Air
This makes nitrogen the most common gas in our environment
You would think that it would be abundant and easy to use
However nitrogen is a difficult material to convert from a gas

42. Nitrogen Fixation
In order to have nitrogen in a useable form it has to change from the N2 in air
The nitrogen must be put in a usable form
One useable form is ammonia

43. Nitrogen Fixation
In order for a N2 to be converted to NH4 (or NH3-)there has to be a way for it to change
Nitrogen will not spontaneously convert to ammonia
There needs to be a process

44. The Nitrogen Cycle
Once again the nitrogen cycle has no beginning point, but we will start at a location
We will start with producers
However we have to start with a specialized group of producers that “fix” Nitrogen
This means that make something useable from N2

45. The Nitrogen Cycle
In soil the place that has the most life is right next to the roots of plants
This is because many microorganisms live in this area
We call this area the rhizosphere

46. The Nitrogen Cycle
Bacteria that live right around the roots are called mycorrhizal bacteria
These bacteria are close enough to interact with the plant and can form a symbiotic relationship with the plant

47. The Nitrogen Cycle
Legumes are plants with dry fruit that have a symbiotic relationship with mycorrhizal bacteria
We mostly call them bean plants

48. The Nitrogen Cycle Most legumes can support bacteria that fix nitrogen
These bacteria form nodes or “bumps” on the roots of these plants
These bacteria change N2 to a useable form of nitrogen

49. The Nitrogen Cycle
The useable ammonia from these plants is then eaten by primary and secondary consumers
The nitrogen taken from the producers is incorporated into the consumer structure
The consumers use the nitrogen in their tissues

50. The Nitrogen Cycle
Nitrogen can be returned to the earth when those consumers die
Then the nitrogen returns to the earth
This nitrogen in the soil can then be used by any sort of plant life
Nitrogen is not limited to legumes after it is in the soil

51. The Nitrogen Cycle

52. Human Impact
Humans can greatly impact this cycle by adding nitrogen to the soils
Humans do this by adding fertilizer to fields, crops and farms
This greatly increases the amount of nitrogen in the soil

53. The Human Impact Humans adding nitrogen can be very harmful
Excess nitrogen can be captured in runoff
This runoff is then carried to the ocean were it causes an algae bloom

54. The Human Impact An algae bloom is very destructive to an ecosystem
It chokes the life out of all manner of sea life
Without this sea life, there are no primary consumers to feed secondary consumers
It can wipe out large sections of open water

55. Phosphorous
Phosphorous is an element that has a large roll in processes for the cell
It might be the most important cycle due to the limited amount of phosphorous in biotic systems

56. Phosphorous Phosphorous is used in DNA
Phosphorous is the bond that is broken and releases energy in ATP
Phosphorous is also essential for structural materials like bones and teeth

57. Phosphorous Cycle
The phosphorous cycle is the only cycle that does not have a stage that involves air
All steps of the phosphorous cycle involve rocks (solids), animals & plants and water

58. Phosphorous Cycle
Once again we could pick any point in the phosphorous cycle to start
We are gong to start with phosphate rocks
Through weathering and erosion phosphate enters biotic systems

59. Phosphorous Cycle Phosphorous the becomes part of soil
This can happen in water and soil ecosystems
Plants can then use phosphorous to grow
Too little phosphorous and plants are stunted
Too much phosphorous and plants growth is exaggerated

60. Phosphorous Cycle
Primary and secondary consumers will eat plants and make phosphorous part of their living tissues
Phosphorous is incorporated into their living system

61. Phosphorous Cycle
The phosphorous that enters water through erosion settles on the bottom
It then over time becomes part of sedimentary rocks
In this state it is inaccessible to organisms

62. Video

63. Human Impact Humans add fertilizers which are high in phosphorous
When too much fertilizer is added, it is washed into streams in runoff
The runoff is carried to the oceans
Algae bloom and red tides can form from high levels of nitrogen and phosphorous

64. The Human Impact