Ecosystem RecyclingEcosystem Recycling

Essential Standard 2.1Essential Standard 2.1Analyze the interdependence of living organisms Analyze the interdependence of living organisms

within their environmentswithin their environments

Clarifying Objective 2.1.1Clarifying Objective 2.1.1Analyze the flow of energy and cycling of matter, such as Analyze the flow of energy and cycling of matter, such as water, carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen through ecosystems water, carbon, nitrogen, and oxygen through ecosystems

relating the significance of each to maintaining the health and relating the significance of each to maintaining the health and sustainability of an ecosystemsustainability of an ecosystem

Learning ObjectiveLearning ObjectiveI can explain how matter is recycled within an ecosystem I can explain how matter is recycled within an ecosystem through the water, carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen cycles through the water, carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen cycles

While While energyenergy flowsflows through an ecosystem, through an ecosystem, waterwater and and mineralsminerals are are recycled.recycled.

WaterWater

CarbonCarbon NitrogenNitrogenOxygenOxygen

Water, carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen Water, carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen travels through a travels through a biogeochemicalbiogeochemical cyclecycle, ,

moving from the abiotic parts of an moving from the abiotic parts of an ecosystem into the biotic parts, and back ecosystem into the biotic parts, and back

again.again.

The Carbon CycleThe Carbon Cycle

All living things are made up of All living things are made up of organicorganic moleculesmolecules that that containcontain carboncarbon. Just like . Just like

water, the amount of carbon on Earth has water, the amount of carbon on Earth has not changed since the formation of Earth, not changed since the formation of Earth,

it has just been recycled.it has just been recycled.

The Carbon CycleThe Carbon Cycle

Plants remove Plants remove carboncarbon dioxide dioxide fromfrom the the atmosphereatmosphere, during , during photosynthesisphotosynthesis, and , and

convert it into simple carbohydrates.convert it into simple carbohydrates.

The Carbon CycleThe Carbon Cycle

Consumers break down carbohydrates Consumers break down carbohydrates during cellular during cellular respirationrespiration and release and release

carboncarbon dioxide back dioxide back intointo the the atmosphereatmosphere..

The Carbon CycleThe Carbon Cycle

During During decompositiondecomposition of organic wastes, of organic wastes, carboncarbon dioxide is also released dioxide is also released intointo the the

atmosphereatmosphere..

The Carbon CycleThe Carbon Cycle

Organic Organic wasteswastes that are that are notnot decomposeddecomposed are buried and converted into are buried and converted into fossilfossil fuelsfuels..

The Carbon CycleThe Carbon Cycle

The burning of fossils fuels for mechanical The burning of fossils fuels for mechanical use, during use, during combustioncombustion, also releases , also releases carboncarbon dioxide dioxide intointo the the atmosphereatmosphere..

The Oxygen CycleThe Oxygen Cycle

21%21% of our of our AtmosphereAtmosphere consists of consists of oxygenoxygen gas. gas. Most life forms depend upon oxygen during Most life forms depend upon oxygen during

cellular respiration to help release the energy cellular respiration to help release the energy found in their foods.found in their foods.

The Oxygen CycleThe Oxygen Cycle

During the day, plants release During the day, plants release oxygenoxygen intointo the the atmosphereatmosphere, during , during photosynthesisphotosynthesis. .

The Oxygen CycleThe Oxygen Cycle

At night, plants take in At night, plants take in oxygenoxygen fromfrom the the atmosphereatmosphere and use it for cellular and use it for cellular respirationrespiration..

The Oxygen CycleThe Oxygen Cycle

During both day and night, animals and fungi During both day and night, animals and fungi take take oxygenoxygen fromfrom atmosphereatmosphere and use it for and use it for

cellular cellular respirationrespiration..

The Oxygen CycleThe Oxygen Cycle

The same processes happen underwater as well. The same processes happen underwater as well. Aquatic plants and phytoplankton release Aquatic plants and phytoplankton release dissolved dissolved

oxygenoxygen intointo the the waterwater during during photosynthesis.photosynthesis.

The Oxygen CycleThe Oxygen Cycle

Animals remove the Animals remove the dissolveddissolved oxygenoxygen fromfrom the the water water during cellular during cellular respirationrespiration..

The Nitrogen CycleThe Nitrogen Cycle

NitrogenNitrogen is an essential element for all life and is an essential element for all life and used to form used to form proteinsproteins and and nucleicnucleic acidsacids. Like . Like water and carbon, nitrogen is also recycled water and carbon, nitrogen is also recycled

through ecosystems.through ecosystems.

Nitrogen makes up Nitrogen makes up 78%78% of the of the atmosphereatmosphere. However, it exists as nitrogen . However, it exists as nitrogen

gas, gas, NN22, and is held together by a , and is held together by a tripletriple covalent covalent bondbond that most organisms cannot that most organisms cannot

break. break.

The Nitrogen CycleThe Nitrogen Cycle

The only organisms that can break the The only organisms that can break the covalent bonds in atmospheric nitrogen covalent bonds in atmospheric nitrogen are are symbioticsymbiotic bacteriabacteria that live on the that live on the

roots of roots of legumelegume plantsplants (beans and (beans and peanuts).peanuts).

The Nitrogen CycleThe Nitrogen Cycle

The Nitrogen CycleThe Nitrogen Cycle

Nitrogen Fixing Nitrogen Fixing bacteriabacteria, on roots of , on roots of legumes, fix nitrogen gas into legumes, fix nitrogen gas into ammoniaammonia, ,

nitrate, and nitrite during nitrate, and nitrite during nitrogennitrogen fixationfixation..

The Nitrogen CycleThe Nitrogen Cycle

PlantsPlants then take up the nitrogen then take up the nitrogen products and use it to form products and use it to form proteinsproteins and and

nucleicnucleic acidsacids. .

The Nitrogen CycleThe Nitrogen Cycle

AnimalsAnimals obtain nitrogen by obtain nitrogen by eatingeating plantsplants or other animals that ate plants. or other animals that ate plants. ExcessExcess

nitrogennitrogen is is releasedreleased in in urineurine or or fecesfeces..

The Nitrogen CycleThe Nitrogen Cycle

AnaerobicAnaerobic bacteriabacteria break down the nitrogen break down the nitrogen products in plant and animal wastes products in plant and animal wastes intointo

nitrogennitrogen gasgas that is released into the that is released into the atmosphere during atmosphere during denitrificationdenitrification. .

George Washington CarverGeorge Washington Carver

GeorgeGeorge WashingtonWashington CarverCarver was a botanist and teacher that was a botanist and teacher that prompted farmers to plant more legumes, especially prompted farmers to plant more legumes, especially

peanuts, to enrich soils that had become nutrient poor after peanuts, to enrich soils that had become nutrient poor after being used to grow cotton over and over again. being used to grow cotton over and over again.

(He also invented Peanut Butter)(He also invented Peanut Butter)

http://intotheoutdoors.org/topics/discovery-of-nitrogen-fixation/

The EndThe End