Carbon

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Carbon Nitrogen Cycles SE 12E Describe the
flow of matter through the carbon and nitrogen
cycles and explain the consequences of disrupting
these cycles.
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Carbon Cycle

• Carbon makes up less than 1 of the Earths crust
  and atmosphere.
• All living things depend on carbon compounds.

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How does matter flow through the Carbon Cycle?

1. Carbon mainly found in atmosphere as CO2. CO2
   leaves the atmosphere when its dissolved in water
   or taken up by plants for photosynthesis.
2. Carbon is released into the atmosphere during
   cellular respiration, geologic processes such as
   volcanic eruptions, when fossil fuels or
   forests are burned.

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What happens when the carbon cycle is disrupted?

• Human activity such as burning fossil fuels and
  forests release CO2 into the atmosphere faster
  than it can be removed by natural processes.

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• 3. CO2 is a greenhouse gas that helps keep heat
  from leaving atmosphere. The increased levels of
  CO2 contributes to rising temperatures and the
  global climate change.

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• 4. When CO2 dissolves in water, carbonic acid
  forms. As more acid forms, oceans are becoming
  more acidic.
• 5. Certain organisms have a low tolerance for
  changing pH levels in the ocean. This can lead to
  loss of biodiversity.

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6. What happens if there is too much CO2 in the
atmosphere?

• Global warming

7. What would cause too much CO2 in the
atmosphere?

• rainforest deforestation
• grassland conversion
• too much pollution from cars, factories

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What are the causes of the disruption to carbon
cycle?

• Deforestation - removal of a forest or stand of
  trees where the land is thereafter converted to a
  nonforest use
• Grassland Conversion altering grasslands to
  farmland

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Why does deforestation/grassland conversion occur?

• People need land to grow crops or raise animals
• People need land to live development of houses,
  cities, shopping malls, etc

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Nitrogen Cycle

• Nitrogen gas makes up 78 of the Earths
  atmosphere.
• 8. Nitrogen is removed from the atmosphere by a
  process called nitrogen fixation. The nitrogen
  is fixed or changed into a form that living
  things can use.

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Nitrogen Fixation

• Certain bacteria in the soil and water are able
  to fix nitrogen. Some of these bacteria live
  inside the roots of certain plants. The plants
  are then able to use the nitrogen.
• 9. Lightning can also fix nitrogen.
• 10. On the other hand, Denitrifying bacteria
  return nitrogen to the atmosphere thus removing
  nitrogen from soil.

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What happens when the Nitrogen Cycle is
disrupted?

• 9. Farmers often add fertilizer to the soil to
  increase plant growth. Fertilizer runoff can
  affect the balance of nitrogen in water (rivers,
  lakes, streams).
• 10. Eutrophication is the process in which
  nitrogen dissolves in a body of water and
  stimulates growth of plants and algae.

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• When plants and algae die, bacterial populations
  that feed on dead matter rise.
• These bacteria consume so much oxygen from the
  water that fish and other aquatic animals cannot
  survive.

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• 11. Acid precipitation aka acid rain is another
  consequence of disrupting the nitrogen cycle.
• The pH levels of soil and water are altered and
  leads to death of plants and animals.
• Acid rain can also cause harmful metals to leach
  from pipes and enter drinking water.

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Plants need Nitrogen, what would happen if there
wasnt enough nitrogen for plants?
Plants wouldnt have nutrients to grow would be
very small