WATER, CARBON AND NITROGEN CYCLE WORKSHEET/COLORSHEET
Directions: Color and make a key for each biogeochemical cycle.
As you read about each cycle answer the following questions:
THE WATER CYCLE
1, Name three important needs for water.
2, How is water distributed through the biosphere?
3. What draws water back to the eafth?
4, What is transpiratíon?
5. What determines which plants to grow where?
6, What is an aquifer?
7. Name two ways water travels from lancl to enter the ocean.
B.
What does runoff include?
How much water enters the hydrologic cycle?
10. How much water falls back as rain?
9.
THE CARBON CYCLE
t.
What are macronutrients? Micronutrients?
What is the role of each of the following in the carbon cycle? State an example of each,
a. Primary proclucers
b. Secondary producers
c. Decomposers
3. Where is most of the Earth's carbon located and in what form?
How cloes carbon enter the biotic part of the ecosystem?
5. What function do plants have ín the forest in the carbon cycle?
How is carbon dioxide returned to the atmosphere?
7. What ís a primary producer?
B. What happens when primary and secondary consumers die?
9. What do detritus feeders contribute to the carbon rycle?
10. What is a fossil fuel?
11. How does carbon get in the oceans?
2,
4.
6.
THE NITROGEN CYCLE
1,
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
What percent of the air is nitrogen?
Why is nitrogen essentialto life?
How do plants and animals get nitrogen if not from the atmosphere?
What are nitrogen fixing bacteria?
What is a major reservoir for ammonia?
Why do herbivores need nitrogen?
Wnat is denitrification?
THE PHOSPORUS CYCLE
1. Why is phosphorus an important biological molecule?
2. What happens to phosphorus that erodes from rock and soil?
3. How are phosphates incorporated into the organic molecules in plants ancl animals?
4. What happens to the phosphates when plants and animals die?
5. What happens to the phosphorous that is carried by runoff to the oceans?
6. How are phosphates incorporated into the organic molecules in aquatic plants and animals?
7. What is different about the phosphorus cycle as compared to the water, carbon, and nitrogen cycles?
-l
,, i! ::
1...":c
i
:
rER
H.A.P
ELEVEN
rD
ã
OJ
l¡Jater Cycl
Chanter 11-9: The
Wole¡ is ùe most ohundont substonce in living thing:. Ihe
humon body, for wople. ìs comporeá on obout 70% rcler, ond
iellyfish ore 95% woler- Wole. porticipotes in môny ¡mportont
biochemicol m*honisms, induding pholosyntlresis, digestion,
ond cellulor respirolion. ll is ol¡o ,he hobitot for mny spæier of
plonb, onimols, ond micræçonisms, ond it porticipotes in ,he
cycling of oll of the moteriols uæd by living ùing:. Woter is dir
tributed through the biosphere in o qyde knom or lhe woler, or
hydrologic cyde. ln this plole. re will *mìne some ospeds of
ùot cyclelhi5
drow3
s
in
We begin by læking ot the oimosphere, wlricÌ¡ include¡ ùe
douds, When wote¡ vopor cools, il ondense ond folls to Eorth
os roin. For instonce, look ot ìhe onw lobeled {A}, or peipirolion over lond; grcvity drws lhe vofer bocl< ic Eo¿h in ùe fom
of roin, sleel, ond rno. Peipitotion ol:o
ow cæns !B).
eor
hm begun our discùsion of Èe woterc¡ld hy
showing how wotei reoches ihe Eorih. We will now
We
c)
'.';']
..'
a)
rD
:
Now lhot w hwe dessibed hw woter reochq lhe
ocæro, *e will ixploe hov it retums td llp qhos- ..
phere, completing rhe hydnilogic cycle. Coniinue
ræding bebw o you comþlete youi coloring.
Ihe moior rseryoirs of woler on Eorlh ore lhe
ospech of the biåsphere.' '
--5
Woter from the lond enÞrs the oceon through :eepoge from
grond lDl; il perdotes Fom ihe ornoce dom to fie wotar
toble. lhis wter-soturofed zone of ¡oil ond rcck ¡s colled on
oquiþ ond woter seeps Éom the oquifer to lhe ocæn,
Wote¡ ol¡o ræches lhe ocæn os runoff f¡om the surfore 1fl.
Runoff f¡om the surhe i¡cludes flow kom íwrs qs well os melting snowfields oad glocien.
ond sevqol
wàter through it ..
ihe orws¡ ond
dorler olori thqn ìhe other
ID
the
'
i l¡
c+
e
(
oceons.
A
Ocænr cover oboui lhree-quorlus of Êorfi's surfoce ond ænlqin
obout 97% of its woler Solor rodiotion c6ure! woter! evoporo.
üoo from the oøn {F}. Over 80% of lhe evoporoted wbr in the
hydrologic ryde eñters the otmosphere in this wo¡ ond ohout
52% of this folls bock into the oøns in the [om'of rcin. 'the
remoinder remoin¡ in the ctmosphere o clouds, ice cryslrrls, ond
woler vopor ond lhen precipitrctes wer lond. On o globol *ole,
lhe quonlily of cæn woler lhot woporotes æcfi yær is eqoirclent to o foyer thol¡s 120 cn dæp ond covers the øtire surfæe
o[ lhe oceot
F
B
â
see how ii ir stoæd in living thing's'tbefore it is
relumed-to lhe átmosphere.' Cølinue your røding
os you ølor lhe diogroni, induding ils orcws.
d
dd
4
_ The living tlings on Eorth ore repreented, in our diogrom, by
lhe tres. Woter is obsorbed by the ræts of the ,ree ond used in
photosynlhesìs, but it i: olso lost f¡om their
ùrough ße
process of honspirotion {C}- Woter qlrc reìuru to lhe ãmæ-
læ
E
phere lhrough mpomfion f¡om the soil ond f¡om numerous
other soùrcÉ. ln generol.lhe omount o[ peipitolion ræered by
on oreo helps delemrne whot
of plonts witlgrow thee. The
nolure o[ úe vegelotion, in tum, delemino the rypes o[ onimols
thot inhobit o region.
D
ç*
'...:-
O Precjpitation
-. .
Precipitðtion
0ver
Land.
O
0cean..
-1,n¿ -
O
'A O
The l'¡ater CYc l e
Ír¿nsp¡ ratron ... - ..
Seepase Fron Ground
0v€r
-..
-?nE-
C O
D O
Runoff tÍom surfðce
Êvaporatron fron
ocean --.-......"'
J
',,
{cu:Aiprts
=rÐ
ELEvEtt
(-)
OJ
Chaoter 11-10: The Carbon CYcl
of yeors lhot
oool of *rti'"nr, ho¡ circuloted for lhe billions
ih" ioh ttot U""n in qistence. Some nutrienlr, colled mocrcnubv orgoismr in lorge quontìties, while o¡her'
ii.piutri"nt., ore useã onþ in trcæ quonlilies' Mocronulriols
hydrogo, oxvsm, nitrosen, ond phosphorus;
.l..onrr.'"nr. ¡n.lu¿" ãdin", ^n, tinc, ond rcme olhers'
oe
Borh iooonurtiunr. ond micronuhienls ore recycled; ñey
oassed bock ond lorth behvæn living ond nonliving components
iüi"
o-cesses lhot w coll biogæhemicol cycles'
th" ;"es lhot follow lmce lhe polhvr¡æ of swercl
ä"
i""ç "*ì*¿
il;;.;ò;;,
cyds'
Moleriol sub¡toncs ore incorPoroÞd inlo orgonic compounds
hv o¡imory producers. Prìmory producere ore lhen consumed by
.J.ånd*" åntutuo. ond dæmposes ore uldmotely eponsihle for rieosinq lhe moteriol bock into ùe nonlivng environmml'
study of the corbon cy-de with the.olmo*
w" *ill b"gìn
ohæ lAl, whi-ch ¡¡ Eorlh's moior eemtr o[ orbon, in lhe fom
ii'á-¿"í ¿i.*¡¿". Co¡bon enters lhe biotic {living} port o[ lhe
græn color
ecosvstem lhrouqh Fhotosynthesi¡ lB). We suggest o
for lirE orw. Pl-onl of the foræt fCl toke lhe corbon in corbon
dlo¡l" ond f¡" ir in oçooic componds such os glucæ^' dordt'
*llulo*. ond other clorhohydrctes. Ræpirotion in Plqts lDì
shows lhis
,"rms àrbon diude lo the otmosph*e; on
We hæ en liow cotøn oers the q¡dé of lÑing
thinqs through photosynthqìs, qnd wè w¡ll now
it p*sø lhrcugh úorio¡ life foms.-C¡nlinæ
your mding below os¡ou color '
s
hu
't.:
:
'1
\il. h*a ** ho* -rbon cycld! though wrioui li*
d
sl@ge
ìo
lum
now
We
will
4
Eorth:
ind thin;;
ihe oil. Conlinue your iæding
rä*t"ø;
""t ".in ùe Plde:
: t"b. oryou.ompieb
f¡
onverted to fosil
Thrcughout hisbry
fuel lKl.iiqh or",.úi. ond teñpe@lure lrcnsfom corbon-oni".i.ã"-åii tar"r inlo cool, oil' ond noturcl gos' tosîl fuel
U follow. Thæ ore mony uses for fo:sil fuels lM]'
much corbon hos bæn
H
"r*"ä.ã
i"*-*i"ì'olono
aenercre electricity using føsil fuels, ond
by godine. Ihe produds of the com'
husfion lNl of fossil fuels include corbon dioxide ond other
cotp-ndt ñol ster the ohrcsphere Cqrbon oìø
"oÀ*
ond plonh lhol
.nÞrs lhe enuionment from the buming of
out*åbil* oL po*"i*d
wd
æcurs
a
durirc Ërcsl fie (O).
ffnol oäæl o[ fhe corbon cyde thot
oJo*"
Præe$.
rD
:
mws-
oru
J
[]
ã.ii*
ofth¡s þloki h on theiorm lhot
eóþonents of thei
.it",ri'i"J
".r¡"" "i""il.omong
use;iforl<r' colc*.b1 the
b-prphqu. You.sholld.
*.
1)
tm
I Ih. pri." fo*t
I
(-ì
*ff
.
elemenrs lhrough biogæchemicol
-(3
Plontr ore primory pmducrs- ln ìhe course o[ plonl con'
.".p¡.^ l¡1, '.o,toi p"*o into Primdry consumen, onimols'
WLen onimql (o¡ssmPlion lF! æcurs, or when the primory
@nsmer i! eoten, corbon possr lo o sæondory osumer, rep'
reenled by the lion in the-ptore. R*pirolion {G} toke ploce in
.iná primory ond "àndo.y .mtutrt, ond corbon is
.dæsed bock into ihe environmenl os corbon dioxide'
Wheo lhe primorv ond wondory consumers die, their orgon'
ic rchs qtem the'æil thrøgh the prcæss of dæoy lHl'.lt is
by rh" d*o.poätt, oid"hitus feeden 01, which
brc'k"n
oi. ,roll onitåt. on¿ micrLrgonisms thot rubsht on deoying
n-n". -.h os follen leoes, dãd bodies, ond onimol woie'
Eodhwoms, mfæ, cenlìpedas, iroects, ond @sfocsn¡ ore
olso
t""¿"r.- Tlru., t"+ì-¡ion in delritus feeders
retums corbm lo lhe olmosPhæ,
nukrmk do
Énerry flows frm
lhe
not entJi the biosphere from on oulside source Ese¡tiolly'
lhe sun inlo lhe biosphere, hut
**t*
il;';ì.;;;;i
-'i
e
re
will
qmine
i/
ltt
I
!'
is
dioxide nrom ùe oi¡ disond combin"s wi¡h colcium tc fom colcium
*'t"* ,i
.oÀin.n. *l,i"t i. lncorpoored into the shdl¡ of mollusls ond
Who thæ shelk dæcy, ùey ronsfom ìnftc
oitno
liresrøe, which, over lime, disrclves os it is ugosed b wter'
Corhon is relæsed lroqr the limeslcre ond mqy relúm lo lhs
*irh o."o*
(Pl. Some córbon
**t
K
.*tu*..
ohospheæ.
O Àtmosphere ............4
O Photosynthesis .......,B
.,.....c
O Forest
O Resprr¿tìon in Plants..0
O Plant Consunption......t
O Ànlmal consumptlon -...F
-306-
O
riu ,..uon
'""1"
Respir¿tion in
O Fossil
Aniñaìs....""""
O
oecav...
O
Detritus Feeders
O
Conve¡sion
to
Fuel
-307 -
"
Fossil
Fuel
...,....-...L
O Uses for Fossil Fuel ..t'l
O Products of
Combustion ............N
O Forest Fire..........,.0
O Exchange l,Íth oceðns ..P
Processjng
.H
.I
i,c H!
-l
=ID
A
'PTER ELEVF¡'I
z
J.
Cha
er
11- l:
The Nitrogen
Nirrooen is fixed into the
nikogen
An imoorlont pue* in eosyslems is the recycling o[
(obiotic) comPonentl Ihe
its livìnq'lbiotic) ond nonliving
l¡uinJ"oroon"it., or bìoto, of lhe @system Porlic¡Pdte h lhe
lhis Pl6le'
nitrolm cycle rn o number ofwoys, os you will see in
ossocìoted
nitroAooroxìmotelv 78% o[ lhe oìr rs compoed of diotomic
to life bæouæ I is o key componml ot
i.
nwleic oc¡ds- Even A'[P, the bosic energy
1.i"" i"iã.
rocy o[ living Ihings, contoins nilrogen'
'*ä"1ìi..
tiË"'" tü onimols con ohloin nitrogen directly frcm
rh" ottirJh"n lAì. lnlæd, they must depend on- o Pæsr
lixolio¡ o€
ølled nilrogen fixolion (B|. Key ployers in n¡hogen
tåoutio Ihor o'" ossæioted with
Ë."iåt'ièi*¿ ttt"
include clær, peor' olfolfo'.ond soy"tbiotic
ü!" tät'"å¿ìr*. L"nímæ
iit.
,ä
"
*or lhe diogm
boderio osscioled
ä'ì
wift heir ræt
a)
rD
we mentioned before'
NH¿*
Soil
sq
how nitrogen i: fiæd in the soil ond
uÍliæd by plonts ond tho øimqls We
will nov omplere rhe cycle o[ nitrogen by showing
rædhow it reluru t'o üe otmosphere' Crnlinue your
ing o: you ælor lha finol ospeas o[ lhe plote'
ewbolþ
ñÐì in qquolic 66Y51èm¡-
.
shows.
ænsume nilrole; q¡
ilo^o
We how
"Ë"ir.ii"
byonoboaerio
ss
LJ
(<
" "rJ
omino ocids, prcteinr, ond nudeic ocìds'
{D). lhese
how nitrogen is brought into llre biotWe hwe
i" æmoon"nt of the æsyslm vio nilrcgen{ùing
h".r".iå- We will nry fæs on hw nitrogen is
cycled through the lMng ospæls of ùe æosystem'
lo ils in@rporolion iñto ommonio lNHal in
""i.lf oble lo use the ommonio f¡om the oil' ln bolh
.*"'rl"t,
;;;,'"i*n"^"i" entør lhe prìmory produss in lhe biotic com."J,v. rlË J*rt tov ih* b" to*uted by onimols. lJl'
n¡trogen ot lhe
He¡b'r'wres oie the primory consumers, ond lhe
o
1". rttJ .y.thåis o[ key orgonic compounds such
.Ë*
or
nodulg ore
boctsio coverl nilrogen in
lNH,), which con be bken uP. ry t91"
"ãt*i" .nd thäphnt ore in o symbiotìc relotìøship'
U.i"¡.
or" ol,o nitrogen-fixing boctoio; they ore prcmr
fie
l*d
it
oornd,. Afr"r nitrog"n hos heen fixed, olhø bocterio convert
;ñ;s olled nihiÊcqrion lF)' ln ùe fint sreP ol
ñä;i;
ürrini.r¡-, ¡¡¡Lto.onos lQ converlomonio lo nihiÞ lNo2l'
t¡" r*-¿ slep' nilrile is conærl*i to nitrote (NOr)' by
""J'i"
ürrrlrl* tHi n".it ot" ¡Nor¡ k th"n t"nsumed by plonts lll'
should be mPhosized'
rir.-en-fixinq bocerio
os we mmlioned obove, through boaerio thot's
wilh root nodules of legumes' Both of thse melhods
n¡r.æ"n
,i'*
h"on¡-
O
LO
rD
freeli"ìng
"i'ffri*
th";;".t lito* o. ottotid-fion lEl The soil is o moior
.ou.ok fo, ommonio ond oher nihogen-contoining com-
f vou læk closeþ ot the plole' yciu will notiæ Èot we
wo:¿s in which nihogen cycles
*u
"-lout
thr*gh notut"- A¡ you ælor the plote' the onæs
*-tiol
-¿
through the octions of
--5
U""ìit".i¿,
thrøoh
o*.'Ñ¡roo-
oil
c+
N2
CYcle
nihogø cycle is lhe proce¡s ol denihirh¡, p.*"ss is pe.iormed by o rcrieryof microrcPic
þrl ore
bocterio, fungi, ond olher orgonisms- Nilrotes ¡n the
¡å1"" å*Ïv rt'"* orgoniirs, ond nihogm is relæsed inlo
rh" otto,ph"*'tll. Thk ãrpletes the nitrogen c¡le'
The ffnol o:ped o[ the
fi-fon lfl.
H
The N¡trogen Cycie
Q ltmosphere .... -.
O Nitrogen Fixation
O Legume P'l ånt ' . ' .
O Nitrosen-Fixrng
Bâcte¡i4...,....
-308-
.A O Àmmonìfìcatron .....
.8 O ilitiificðtion.....-.
.c O Nitrosononas ...... O rvttroô¿c¡er. .. . .. . ..
.D
-309 -
O
Consumptìon
bY
O
Consumption
bY
Plants...,....
Animaìs........
O 0enitiificôtion
,.";:c u.l p
-l
=rD
TER ELEVEN
-Ð
chapter 11-12:
The Phosphorus Cycl
ln*
whot
occu-ulole'in rcì<s ond roil. ond porlicipote in
"lemáh
olled bìogeahmìol cYcles'
ore
";;;;;;;i;;""r
ore
colcvcles
thot'und"rgo ,"di'enlorT
.#.:;iÈ,; ;;q*,"m, ond phoipho*s' y's vou will see in Ihis
ptot" pt otp¡otit ¡ one o[ lhe key elemenls in orgonic molter'
;;il-;;.
biologicol
nucleic ocids'
å|rc pre¡enl in the sugorphosphote bod'bonê of
l" ..*"ti.iA"rìent'of phopholipids, which noke up lhe
."iî
cell mmbrone.
""'ät.
of phosphæs is rcck ond soil' so we will
os
heoin lhe ryde with sosion from rqk {A)' Erosion occurs
rock, disolvins phosphorus ond woshing il
tom
tÔ
wilh
or/gen
inlo rñer ond streoms. Phosphorus unils
o *oiot body of worer' deoiaed hee
pi..piã"ì"¿
*I,i't*"-"it
;ì; åå-;*
os o loke-'f"'tft"
"nt"*
grwing olong.the horde¡ o[ tåe
the woter gives up ils phosphotes' which ore
pf"",
hk
. H;,
w
see plonls
obrcrbed by the plonts lE) ond used-in ¡he synlhøis-,otorgonic
he
moleculs. Some of ùe phosphol* olso enler lhe 'ôf oþng
iA;. ói.iol'"å ph'phor" is reodilv obærbed hv
àf of."rt, concenlmli by cyonobcclerro ond.prolists
ii..
moìcules'
EugÈno, ond Êren incorporcled inb orgonic
;;ì;i*
i-,
.goin
=
it moy be reobsorbed bv plonts thot line
cl
t.ì
ùä
rD
to-sæ,
of odenosine lriphos..ìäf!,. r". *.tple, il is o component
'l'lADP,
which ore u¡ed rn
"ñ*-'iläi""J
'É"'.*nry*"
such os pholorynlher' Phosphorus
cellulo. procæres
l-oorto.t
is
o*"
,, tlwlnb
niru.
in
o
--
the loke, ond it enlers the cycle ogoin.
fæture in lhe finol, colorcddrgwing'
elements
:J
ii"Jit"t
in this olote, we wìll follów Ihe cyding of pho:phorus
Th. orc*s should be ihe most prcminml
in
is ono of the crilicol
tJ^t
-cf
(/
lhe
Ihe olont is tàe primory producer in lhe phosphorus cy.cle
.ho.ohote ¡s concintrqted in plontlisws lC), ond lhen lhê Plont
i,'- .olum"d lDl bv on onimol, which is sæn grøing lEl
lo ùe loke when ñe plonh ond onì'
"*i""rned
mols dià. Plont wqsle {F} ond onimol wq}e fGl re}um PhoPhole
elemenls
Although nitrogen ond corhon exisl os goses' cerlo.rn
thot ode in the hiosphere do not sisl in gomus lom'
Phosphorus
=-
e
H
Lorce omounle on phosphorus ore conied by nvers -ond
.rmri os ronoff lo the oceon (H). Phosphorus drsls ¡n lhe lorm
of ohosohote here, os il dø on lond' Much o[ this phosphote
¡' .orine sedimenr (ll' Some of the phosphote
ü"i.ä"ìi.,*
into the bodies of morine onimol¡ such
iÏ;"*;li;i;**.ted
r.í *irt", lhe scoles ond bone of bony fish contorn
".iri.
in lhe
ohosphm¡. fu ,¡ l}te cose on lond, primry prcducers
phosphotes inlo otgontc compounds' lhee
!c".[ t*".-*
o.imory orcducer ore ætm by fish ond olhet inverlebroles' lor
/
#
,l
¡
i".ii".l,i* uiJt."nsuñe lh; fi5h qnd retum phosphorus to lhe
oceon
--Ã--uin lhe brm of æremenL
i*" ,""n, Ihe olmospheæ is not involved in the phor
oho-, *1". ln orier b¡ he phosphoru: lo leoe lhe oceonic
inr',**tr, g"ologi" ùPlhrustmusl æcu'' Upùrust is ùe pues
F
thouoh which oncesubmerged sedimentory ræk rich ¡n PhosEorth's plotes'
ohoru"s is æosed becouse oÍ lhe mwemenl of the
it"^ enler lhe leresk¡ol ecosyslm ond begins lo
äl;;k
woúer, porlicipotiog in ùe phosphorous cycle'
(
B
lt
t
lt
such os
The PhosÞhorus Cycle
O
O
O
-310-
Eros'ìon from Rock ..-.
Âbsorbtron by P:ants
Concentr¿tion in Plant
Tissues.
A O Plant consumptlon . .....Ð
B OGrazinq
--.-.--E
O Plant llaste ..-.......-.F
-3ii-
O
O
O
O
Ànimal U¡ðste-....
Runoff to oceàn
M¿rr¡e sedinent
Geoiosic lplhrust