Transcript Biogeochemical cycles

Biogeochemical Cycles
1) What are biogeochemical
cycles and examples of them
on Earth?
2) Why are they important?
3) How do you interpret models
of biogeochemical cycles?
DAY 1: Biogeochemical Cycles
• Biogeochemical cycles are cycles that
connect biological, geological and chemical
processes on earth.
• They are important in making recycling the
nutrients, minerals and water essential for life.
• Unlike the one-way flow of energy, matter is
recycled within and between ecosystems.
• Matter can cycle through the biosphere because
biological systems do not use up matter, they only
change it.
Day 1: cont..
• With your partners, list some
examples of biogeochemical cycles
on Earth?
Day 1: cont.
• Some Answers include:
1. Water Cycle (all living things require water to survive)
2. Carbon Cycle (key ingredient in living tissue)
3. Oxygen Cycle (important in respiration)
4. Nitrogen Cycle (needed by all organisms to build proteins
5. Phosphorus Cycle (needed for DNA and RNA molecules)
6. Rock Cycle (renewal of eroded rock and release of important
minerals )
Day 2: Carbon Cycle
1. Why is the carbon cycle
important?
2. What are some sources
of atmospheric carbon?
3. How do plants absorb
carbon?
4. How is carbon released
into the soil?
5. How can carbon be
taken out of the carbon
cycle? How can this
carbon be put back into
the atmosphere? What
are some problems with
this?
Day 2: cont.
• Possible answers:
1. Carbon is an essential organic compound. An
important ingredient in living tissue.
2. Sources of atmospheric carbon are plant, root and
animal (including decomposers) respiration, burning
and auto and factory emissions.
3. Plants absorb carbon through photosynthesis.
4. Carbon is released into the soil when organisms, like
bacteria, decompose plants and animal wastes.
5. Carbon can leave the cycle when organic matter is
buried and becomes fossilized as coal or oil. Oceans
can also absorb carbon. Fossilized carbon is put
back into the carbon cycle when humans burn fossil
fuels. The problems is that humans are presently
burning fossil fuels many times faster than carbon is
fossilized or absorbed by oceans. Therefore, the
amount of carbon in the cycle is increasing.
Day 3: Nitrogen Cycle
1. Why is nitrogen
important?
2. How is nitrogen
taken out of the
atmosphere?
3. How is nitrogen
absorbed by plants
and animals?
4. How is nitrogen
released into the
atmosphere?
Day 3: Answers
1. Important nutrient for all living things
in protein formation.
2. Nitrogen fixing bacteria found in soil
and some plants (e.g. legume plants),
nitrifying algae and lightning (in minor
amounts) can take nitrogen out of the
atmosphere.
3. Plants absorb nitrogen through their
roots and animals eat the plants.
4. Denitrifying bacteria release nitrogen
to the atmosphere.
Day 4: Water Cycle
• Label the parts of
the water cycle?
a) runoff
b) power Source
c) condensation
d) Precipitation
e) evaporation
Day 4: Answers
1. Sun – power source of the water
cycle.
2. Condensation
3. Evaporation
4. Precipitation
5. Runoff
Day 5: Quiz (Dynamite!!)