1. Nutrient Cycles
WATER
PHOSPHOROUS
CARBON
NITROGEN

2. Earth’s 4 Spheres
air
life
water
earth/rocks

3. The Water Cycle

4. The Water Cycle Transpiration Condensation Evaporation Precipitation
Runoff
Groundwater
Human Uses
Human Waste

5. Evaporation
Water that rises from the earth (lithosphere or biosphere) into the atmosphere

6. Condensation
Water in the atmosphere that clumps together to form clouds

7. Precipitation
Water that falls from the atmosphere to the earth (lithosphere)

8. Runoff
Water on the earth (lithosphere) that flows into bodies of water (hydrosphere)

9. Human Uses We need water to live For our bodies
To clean our food and ourselves

10. Human Waste
Animals (including humans) return water to ground and bodies of water through urine

11. Groundwater
Water stored in the lithosphere

12. The Carbon Cycle

13. The Carbon Cycle Pollution Photosynthesis Gas Exchange Carbon Fixation
Burning Fossil Fuels
Animal Waste
Decomposition
Fossilization

14. Gas Exchange CO2 exchanges between water and the atmosphere
dissolves from the atmosphere into water (the hydrosphere)
rises out of water into the atmosphere

15. Photosynthesis
Plants use CO2 from the atmosphere to make glucose sugar (C6H12O6)

16. Carbon Fixation
When CO2 leaves the atmosphere and enters the biosphere (usually photosynthesis)

17. Animal Waste
Carbon compounds are released through solid waste into land and water (the lithosphere and hydrosphere)

18. Decomposition
Carbon is decomposed (by bacteria and other decomposers) into soil

19. Fossilization
When plants and animals die, the carbon in their bodies may be turned into fossil fuels
Under the right heat and pressure

20. Burning Fossil Fuels
We can burn these fossils and use the energy from them as fuel (coal, oil, and natural gas)
CO2 is released when they are burnt

21. Pollution
CO2 from the burnt fuels is released back into the atmosphere

22. The Nitrogen Cycle

23. The Nitrogen Cycle Burning Fossil Fuels Animal Use De-nitrification
Nitrogen Fixation
Waste
Runoff
Plant Use

24. Nitrogen Fixation
Lightning and bacteria put atmospheric nitrogen into the lithosphere and hydrosphere (NO3 and NH3)

25. Plant Use
Plants use nitrogen to make amino acids (the building blocks of proteins!)
From the atmosphere to the biosphere

26. Animal Use
Animals break apart the plant proteins and use the amino acids to build their own proteins
Stays in the biosphere

27. Waste
Decomposers break down animals and plant matter into nitrogen for the soil (lithosphere and biosphere)

28. De-nitrification
Decomposers turn nitrogen compounds back into nitrogen gas (lithosphere to atmosphere)

29. Runoff
Runoff washes nitrogen from the ground into water (lithosphere into the hydrosphere)

30. Burning Fossil Fuels
Nitrogen enters the atmosphere as pollution from our factories
Lithosphere to atmosphere

32. Question 1:
Explain how the Earth’s 4 spheres are connected through the water, carbon, and nitrogen cycles.

33. Analysis: Yosemite National Park was my grandfather’s favorite place on earth. When he died, we spread some of his ashes there.
Draw and label the path of a CARBON atom from Ms. Macway’s Grandpa’s remains to where it could become part of a hawk.
Note: A hawk is a carnivore, but it did NOT dig up and consume my Grandpa’s remains!!!