1. What is a Limiting Nutrient? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?

2. Limiting Nutrient Nutrient: A chemical element or compound used by an organism for life processes. If one nutrient is used up before other nutrients, it is called a limiting nutrient. A limiting nutrient prevents growth with its absence.

3. Let’s compare Limiting Factors in Baking Cookies to Limiting Nutrients In an Ecosystem

4. Ingredients in Cookies! 1 egg 1 cup Flour

5. More Ingredients 1 teaspoon Baking powder1 cup Sugar

6. More Ingredients 8 oz. Butter½ teaspoon Vanilla

7. Mix together and Bake = 1 dozen CookiesHappy children

8. How many Cookies can you Bake if you have no Eggs? 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

9. How many cookies can you bake if you have an unlimited amount of Flour Sugar Vanilla Butter Baking powder AND ONE EGG

10. Two Eggs

11. A Dozen Eggs

12. In the Cookie Recipe… What limited the number of cookies that could be baked? If this limiting factor was supplied, what happens? Could any of the other ingredients have been limiting factors in our cookie recipe?

13. How Does this Relate to a Limiting Nutrient in an Ecosystem? Plants need: – Carbon dioxide – Water – Light Energy – Warmth – Nutrients – Nitrogen Phosphorus Potassium Calcium This makes

14. Which of these factors are RARELY in short supply on planet Earth? – Carbon dioxide – in atmosphere? – Light Energy? – H 2 O? – Nutrients (found in soil)? Nitrogen Phosphorus Potassium Calcium

15. All other factors can be Limiting Nutrients if absent!

16. What happens if a limiting nutrient is supplied to an ecosystem? Listen to NPR’s (National Public Radio) description of an algae bloom in Rhode Island (September 5, 2012) and find out*.find out Read “Toxic algae blooms at urban ponds” and answer questions.

17. Questions: 1.Algae is in the kingdom Protista. Blue-Green algae is a type of bacteria. Why is the common name of blue-green algae misleading? 2.What is the limiting nutrient mentioned in the article? 3.What other factor is mentioned that limits growth of blue-green algae? 4.If an organism in the ponds feeds on blue-green algae, what happens to its numbers when the limiting nutrient is supplied?