Ecosystem Recycling

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Ecosystem Recycling

• IN

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• ENERGY FLOWS THROUGH ECOSYSTEM
• WATERNITROGENCARBONPHOSPHORUS ARE RECYCLED!!!
• THEY MOVE THRU A BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLE
• ABIOTIC (non-living) PORTION OF ENVIRONMENT
  (ATMOSPHERE) ? LIVING THINGS?THEN BACK AGAIN

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Water Cycle

• CELLS CONTAIN 70-90 H20
• VERY LITTLE OF EARTHS AVAILABLE H20 IS IN LIVING
  THINGS
• RIVERS / LAKES / STREAMS / OCEANS CONTAIN A BIG
  
• ATMOSPHERE CONTAIN WATER WATER VAPOR
• GROUND WATER IN SOIL OR UNDERGROUND IN POROUS
  ROCK
• WATER CYCLE MOVEMENT OF H20 B/T RESERVOIRS
• EVAPORATION
• TRANSPIRATION
• PRECIPITATION

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Evaporation

• ADDS H20 VAPOR TO ATMOSPHERE
• HEAT CAUSES WATER TO EVAPORATE
• 90 OF EVAPORATED WATER FROM TERRESTRIAL
  ECOSYSTEM PASSES THROUGH PLANTS IN A PROCESS
  CALLED

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Transpiration

• PLANTS TAKE IN H20 THRU ROOTS
• RELEASE WATER TAKE IN CO2 (CARBON DIOXIDE)
• ANIMALS DRINK/EAT TO TAKE IN H20
• ANIMALS RELEASE IT WHEN
• BREATHING
• SWEATING
• EXCRETION

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Precipitation

• WATER LEAVES ATMOSPHERE
• TEMP AIR PRESSURE (ABIOTIC FACTORS) DETERMINE
  HOW MUCH WATER CAN BE HELD
• ONCE ATM. IS SATURATED W/VAPOR
• SNOW, RAIN, SLEET, HAIL OR FOG

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Carbon Cycle

• PHOTOSYNTHESIS CELLULAR RESPIRATION
• PHOTOSYNTHESIS PLANTS OTHER AUTOTROPHS USE
  CO2 H20 SUNLIGHT CARBOHYDRATES

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CELLULAR RESPIRATION

• PROCESS IN WHICH AUTOTROPHS HETEROTROPHS USE
  OXYGEN (O2) TO BREAKDOWN CARBS.
• CELLS MAKE ATP (ENERGY) BY BREAKING DOWN ORGANIC
  COMPOUNDS
• A COMPOUND THAT RESULTS FROM LIVING THINGS
  CONTAINS CARBON

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HUMAN INFLUENCE ON THE CARBON CYCLE

• IN THE PAST 150 YEARS CO2 IN THE ATMOSPHERE HAS
  RISEN 30? ALMOST ½ IN THE LAST 40 YEARS
• HUMANS ACTIVITY IS THE CAUSE
• BURNING FOSSIL FUEL
• REMAINS OF ORGANISMS THAT HAVE BEEN TRANSFORMED
  BY DECAY, HEAT, PRESSURE ?ENERGY RICH ORGANIC
  MOLECULES

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• BURNING RELEASES ENERGY CO2
• BURNING VEGETATION RELEASES CO2
• TROPICAL RAINFOREST DESTRUCTION
• WITH NO PLANTS CO2 IS NOT ABSORBED

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Nitrogen Cycle

• NITROGEN IS NEEDED TO MAKE PROTEINS NUCLEIC
  ACIDS
• ORGANIC MOLECULE, DNA OR RNA, THAT STORES
  CARRIES IMPORTANT INFO FOR CELL FUNCTION
• N2 (NITROGEN GAS) MAKES UP 78 OF THE ATMOSPHERE
• N2 IS HOWEVERLIMITED TO AMMONIA FOR MOST
  LIVING THINGS

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NITROGEN FIXATION

• CONVERSION OF N2 TO AMMONIA
• CERTAIN BACTERIA CAN CONVERT ? NH3
  NITROGEN-FIXING BACTERIA
• LIVE IN SOIL IN SOME ROOTS

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Recycling Nitrogen

• BODIES OF DEAD ORGANISMS CONTAIN N
• URINE DUNG ALSO
• DECOMPOSERS BREAK DOWN CORPSES WASTE OF
  ORGANISMS GIVE OFF NITROGEN AS AMMONIA
  AMMONIFICATION
• NITRIFICATION BACTERIA IN SOIL TAKE IN
  AMMONIA OXIDIZE IT INTO NITRITES, NO2
  NITRATES, NO3

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DENITRIFICATION

• RETURNING NITROGEN TO ATMOSPHERE
• PLANTS CAN ABSORB NITRATES AMMONIA FROM SOIL?
• ANIMALS CANNOT!
• ANIMALS OBTAIN IT BY EATING OTHER ORGANISMS
  DIGESTING THE PROTEINS NUCLEIC ACIDS

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COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

• 1. WHAT IS THE BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLE
• 2. WHERE DO NITROGEN-FIXING BACTERIA LIVE? WHAT
  CRUCIAL FUNCTION DO THEY PERFORM?
• 3. DESCRIBE THE ROLE OF DECOMPOSERS IN NITROGEN
  CYCLE?
• 4. HOW HAS BURNING FOSSIL FUELS AFFECTED CARBON
  CYCLE?
• 5. THROUGH WHAT PROCESS DOES MOST H20 VAPOR ENTER
  ATM.