1. Bellringer
What is the most basic level of ecological organization? What is the broadest level?

2. Bellringer Answer Most basic level = organism
Broadest level = biosphere

3. By the end of this section, you should be able to:
Objectives
By the end of this section, you should be able to:
distinguish between the biosphere, atmosphere, and hydrosphere
explain how the different spheres are related
diagram explain the major steps of the water cycle
discuss the importance of each component of the water cycle and the impacts from human activity

4. Earth’s Environmental Systems3
CHAPTER
Placeholder opening page, but maybe we can duplicate the look of the SE chapter opener page by using the same fonts and colors (and maybe that Ch 14 icon?)

5. Lesson 3.4 Biogeochemical Cycles
A carbon atom in your body today may have been part of a blade of grass last year, or a dinosaur bone millions of years ago.
Fossilized bones in a Colorado dig.

6. The Biosphere and Atmosphere
Lesson 3.3 Earth’s Spheres
The Biosphere and Atmosphere
Biosphere: The part of Earth in which living and nonliving things interact
Atmosphere: Contains the gases that organisms need to survive.
Earth’s atmosphere, seen from space

7. The Atmosphere cont.
A layer of ozone, composed of oxygen, protects the biosphere from the sun’s radiation.
Additional gases, such as carbon dioxide and methane keep Earth warm enough to support life.

8. The Hydrosphere Consists of Earth’s water
Lesson 3.3 Earth’s Spheres
The Hydrosphere
Consists of Earth’s water
Most of Earth’s water (97.5%) is salt water.
Only 0.5% of Earth’s water is unfrozen fresh water usable for drinking or irrigation.
Earth’s available fresh water includes surface water and ground water.
Greenlaw Brook, Limestone, Maine
Did You Know? If it is depleted, groundwater can take hundreds or even thousands of years to recharge completely.

9. Where Do We Get Our Fresh Water?
What types of countries consume the most water? Why?
In these countries, water is mostly used for agriculture (~70%) and industrial uses (~22%)

10. Lesson 3.3 Earth’s Spheres
The Water Cycle

11. Water Cycle Rap

12. Water Cycle Foldables Inside Outside
Write the basic 4 steps in the water cycle, one per flap, and draw arrows to show the path of circulation.
Add illustrations to help you remember what each step means.
On the inside of each flap, describe the step that you named on the outside of that flap (how and where does it occur).
In the large, middle section, make a simplified illustration of the water cycle.

13. What is an aquifer and how is it important to our survival?
Bellringer
What is an aquifer and how is it important to our survival?

14. Nutrient Cycling Matter cycles through the environment endlessly.
Lesson 3.4 Biogeochemical Cycles
Nutrient Cycling
Matter cycles through the environment endlessly.
Matter can be transformed, but cannot be created or destroyed.
Nutrients, matter that organisms require for life process, circulate throughout the environment in biogeochemical cycles.
Did You Know? Organisms require several dozen nutrients, such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and carbon, to survive.

15. Nutrient Types
Where Nutrients Are Found
Available Organic
Living organisms, detritus
Unavailable Organic
Coal, oil, peat
Available Inorganic
Atmosphere, soil, water
Unavailable Inorganic
Minerals in rock

16. Put your homework on the front table and pick up today’s activity.
Bell Ringer
Put your homework on the front table and pick up today’s activity.

17. What are biogeochemical cycles?
Bellringer
What are biogeochemical cycles?

18. Biogeochemical Cycles
Complex cycles that circulate nutrients throughout the environment
Bio- means life
-geo- means earth
-chemical means to arrange atoms

19. The Carbon Cycle Lesson 3.4 Biogeochemical Cycles Common Sources:
Fossil fuels
DNA
Plastics
Medicine

20. Stop and Think!
Notice that there are many more processes that release carbon than there are processes that take in or use carbon.
How many of these processes are due to human activity?

21. The Phosphorus Cycle Lesson 3.4 Biogeochemical Cycles Common Sources:
Rock
Soil
Sediment
Oceans
Why is it scarce to living organisms?
Phosphorous is released naturally when rocks are broken down by wind and water

22. The Nitrogen Cycle Lesson 3.4 Biogeochemical Cycles
nitrogen makes up 78% of our atmosphere
6th most abundant element
Nitrogen is relatively scarce in organisms because it must be chemically altered to become usable
Nitrogen fixation = the conversion of nitrogen gas into ammonia