Nutrient Cycles

Nutrient Cycles

• Nutrients cycle and energy flows
• Energy flows in one direction
• Energy flow is the movement of energy through an ecosystem.
• A food chain shows how energy ad nutrient are passed from one living organism to another as they are eaten.
• The sun is always the initial sources of energy in every food chain. (Whether it is shown or not)
• Producers or autotrophs make their own food; Using energy from the sun through photosynthesis.
• Consumers or heterotrophs get food and energy by eating other organisms
• Trophic level = feeding level
• Primary consumers = herbivores (plant eaters)
• Secondary consumers = carnivores or omnivores (plant & meat eaters)
• Tertiary consumers = Carnivores that eat other carnivores
• An organism at the very top of the food cain is called the Apex predator.

Carbon Cycle

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• Bildunterschrift: Carbon cycle diagram.
• Carbon cycle process - the movement of carbon from the environment into living things and back.
• Carbon into living things
• Photosynthesis - plats use carbon dioxide and give off oxygen.
• Consumption - Animals eat plants, which contain carbon.
• Carbon into the environment
• Respiration - plants and animals release CO2 through respiration.
• Decomposition - breakdown of dead organism by bacteria and fungi, releases carbon into environment.
• Combustion - burning fuels to release c02 into the environment.

Nitrogen Cycle

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• Bildunterschrift: Nitrogen cycle diagram
• Nitrogen cycle process - the movement of nitrogen from the environment into living things and back.
• Nitrogen into living things
• Nitrogen fixation - bacteria and lighting fix nitrogen from the atmosphere into soil forms for plants.
• Nitrification - when fixed nitrogen in the soil is converted to usable forms by plants.
• Nitrogen into the atmosphere
• Without nitrogen-fixing bacteria, plants would not be able to absorb nitrogen released back into the soil through excretion and decomposition.
• Decomposition - breakdown of dead organisms
• Excretion - when animals excrete waste (urinate)
• Denitrification - bacteria breakdown nitrogen in the soil and release it to atmospere.

Phosphorus Cycle

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• Bildunterschrift: Phosphorus cycle diagram
• Nitrogen cycle process - the movement of nitrogen from the environment into living things and back.
• Phosphorus into living things
• Absorption - plants absorb phosphorus from the soil.
• Consumption - animals obtain phosphorus by eating plants or other animals that eat plants.
• Phosphorus into the environment
• Decomposition - decomposers breakdown plant and animal matter into the soil.
• Weathering (erosion) - wind and rain erode. (breakdown) phosphate rich rocks.
• Runoff - rivers carry gravel (broken down rock) and silt to water bodies
• Agricultural Runoff - fertilizers used in the growth of crops filters into nearby bodies of water
• Fertilizers contain phosphorus and nitrogen

Eutrophication Cycle

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• Bildunterschrift: Eutrphication cycle diagram
• Eutrophication - the process by which excessive nutrients within a body of water causes dense growth of plant life (algae) and results in the death of animal life due to lack of oxygen.
• Eutrophication process
• Nutrient load up: excessive nutrients from fertilizers are flushed from the land into rivers or lakes by rainwater.
• Plants flourish: these pollutants cause aquatic plant growth of algae, duckweed and other plants.
• Algae blooms, oxygen is depleted: algae blooms, preventing sunlight reaching other plants. The plants die and oxygen in the water is depleted.
• Decomposes further deplete O2: dead plants are broken down by bacteria decomposers, using up even more oxygen in the water.
• Death of ecosystem: oxygen levels reach a point where no life is possible. Fish and other organisms die.
• Eutrophication: Dead ones; Eutrophication where rivers enter the ocean create "dead zones" where all the oxygen is used by bacteria, so nothing else can survive there.
• Excessive amounts of nitrates enter the rivers from human's sewers (poop) or form too much fertilizer being used on farms and rain washes it into rivers, or cow/pig/chicken poop on farms washes into rivers.

Water Cycle

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• Bildunterschrift: Water Cycle diagram
• Water Cycle process - movement of water among oceans, land, atmosphere, and living things.
• Precipitation - water falling from the atmosphere (i.e, rain, snow, hail, sleet)
• Collection (Accumulation) - water collects in oceans, lakes, and groundwater
• Evaporation & Transpiration - water changes from liquid to gas, returns to the atmosphere
• Condensation - water vapor cools and returns to liquid state, forms clouds
• Runoff - water that drains to lakes, rivers, & oceans from land
• Infiltration - water from precipitation seeps into the soil plants or becomes groundwater