Nutrients Cycle

Nutrients and Matter are continually used in an ecosystem

over and over again.

• Energy flows in one direction, but matter recycles

Nutrient Cycles

• Purpose: allows for the natural recycling of nutrients between living and non-living things in ecosystems

Four Main Cycles

Water Cycle

Carbon Cycle

Nitrogen Cycle

Phosphorus Cycle

Water Cycle Clip

• http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/studyjams/water_cycle/

Water Cycle

Water Cycle -Terms to Know• Evaporation

• Transpiration (Evapotranspiration)

• Precipitation

• Run Off

• Percolation (Groundwater Seepage)

• Condensation

• Solar Energy

• Water Vapor (Clouds)

Water Cycle Main Concepts

• Water evaporates from bodies of water into the atmosphere with the help of solar energy (Sun)

• Moisture is held in the atmosphere in the formation called clouds- condensation

• When the atmosphere is saturated with moisture the water is released in some form of precipitation

• Water is returned back down. Some empties into bodies of water, while some is absorbed (infiltration)into the Earth and some runs off land areas back into larger bodies of water

Carbon Cycle

Carbon Cycle – Terms to Know

• Photosynthesis

• Cellular Respiration

• Decomposition

• Burning of Wood and Fossil Fuels

• Decomposers/Detritivores

• Detritus (Matter the Detritivores Use for Energy)

Carbon Cycle Main Concepts

• Carbon enters the atmosphere through fossil fuel release, release of carbon dioxide through cellular respiration, and waste of decaying matter

• Carbon is then used by plants to carry out photosynthesis

• Dead plants and animals return back into the ground which returns carbon back to Earth. Coal and oil also have carbon which allow carbon to always be present in the Earth

Carbon Cycle Video Clip

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3SZKJVKRxQ

Nitrogen Cycle

Nitrogen Cycle – Terms to Know

• Assimilation

• Nitrogen-Fixation

• Nitrogen-Fixing Bacteria

• Denitrification

• Denitrifying Bacteria

• Root Nodules

• Ammonification

Nitrogen Cycle Main Concepts

• Nitrogen is present in the atmosphere as a natural component of air due to volcanic activity, lightning, release by algae (78%)

• Nitrogen is present in the soil, but must be FIXED through nitrogen fixation (denitrification, and ammonification) in order to be released into the atmosphere

• Nitrogen fixing bacteria allow nitrogen to be altered in the Earth so that it is taken up in plant root systems (assimilation).

• When organisms eat plants, the nitrogen is taken in by them and can be release back into the Earth through waste products

Nitrogen Cycle Animation

• http://www.classzone.com/books/ml_science_share/vis_sim/em05_pg20_nitrogen/em05_pg20_nitrogen.swf

Phosphorus Cycle

Phosphorus - Terms to Know

• Geologic Uplifting

• Leaching

• Chemical Precipitation

• Sedimentation

• Weathering

• Runoff

Phosphorus Cycle

• Two Overall Paths– Path One (Breakdown of Rock)

• Rocks release phosphous through the weathering of rock over time on land and in water (leaching)

• Phosphorus enters water systems in solution form• Over many years the phosphorus settles at the

floor of water systems and forms rock• Rock may uplift after many years to expose rock

which has phosphorus

Phosphorus Cycle

• Path Two- Animals– Phosphorus is locked in soil and is taken in by

plant root systems– Animals eat plants and take in the phosphorus– When animals die, detritivores (worms) break

down dead matter and release the phosphorus back into the soil.

– Can be used again or leached back into water systems

Phosphorus cycle animation

• http://www.wadsworthmedia.com/biology/starr_udl11_tour/phos_anim.html