Transcript November 28 Nitrates Post Lab Fertilizer Runoff Questions

NOVEMBER 28, 2016
T.O.C. NECESSARY NUTRIENTS POST LAB
DO NOW: Read article “Fertilizer Runoff
Overwhelms Streams and Rivers – Creating Vast
“Dead Zones” answer questions
LEARNING TARGET: I can explain: factors,
including matter and energy, in the environment
that limit the growth of plant and animal
populations in natural ecosystems
LESSON: What are the results of the lab; What do
they tell us? How does nitrogen in the soil get
into water? Is it a problem?
1. How did the problem start?
2. What is an unintended consequence this?
3. What is causing the problem?
4. How do scientists know that there is a severe
problem (What is their research?)
5. What is making the problem worse?
6. What solution do the scientists recommend?
7. What are the drawbacks of this solution?
VOCABULARY
FOR
ARTICLE
Biofuel: Fuel made from things like crops
Nitrate: A form of nitrogen that plants can absorb
Fertilizer: a man-made chemical added to crops to help them grow
Mandate: an official order to do something
Dead Zone
http://www.nnvl.noaa.gov/MediaDetail2.php?MediaID=1062&Medi
aTypeID=3&ResourceID=104616
Isotope
Pristine: Untouched, uncontaminated and clean
Hypoxia: without oxygen
denitrification
RADIOACTIVE ISOTOPE
THE NITROGEN CYCLE
NITRIFYING
BACTERIA
DENITRIFYING
BACTERIA
HOOD CANAL
http://www.seattletimes.com/seattlenews/environment/lack-of-oxygen-killing-marinelife-in-hood-canal-waters/
WHY IS NITROGEN IMPORTANT
1. It is part of proteins
2. It is found in DNA
3. It makes up 78% of atmosphere, but
animals and most plants can’t use it
like that.
4. It must be FIXED (combined with
Oxygen) to be used by plants
5. Bacteria do this Fixing
1. Most plants need nitrogen in the form of
nitrates to grow. They get this from soil.
2. Bacteria in the soil combine N with H or
O this is fixing
3. Animals get nitrogen to make their
proteins by eating plants or other
animals.
4. Nitrogen returns to the soil through
waste and death
FERTILIZERS
1.
Substances rich
in plant nutrients
that people add
to soil
2.
Fertilizers
commonly
contain nitrogen
[N], phosphorus
[P], and
potassium [K].
FERTILIZERS CONT.
The increased crop yields of
today are due to the use of
MANUFACTURED fertilizers,
which are mixtures of
chemicals produced at
factories
These fertilizers are
expensive because
fertilizer production is a
costly, energy-intensive
process
They frequently runoff of
the area they were spread
RUNOFF
Runoff often ends up in streams,
lakes, and other bodies of water,
including reservoirs that provide
drinking water.
IN THIS ACTIVITY…
1. You will test fertilized and unfertilized
soils for the presence of nitrates [NO3-],
the form of nitrogen most easily used by
plants.
2. You will also test the nitrate level found
in the runoff water that is not absorbed
by the soil
3. You will convert the nitrates to nitrites
[NO2-] and then allow them to react with
a dye that turns pink in the presence of
TESTABLE QUESTION
How does the type of soil [potting
soil OR local soil] affect the
amount of nitrogen that can be
absorbed?
Stop P.2
11/23
CONCLUSIONS
Write conclusions
for this Lab Investigation,
as instructed by your teacher.