Biogeochemical Cycles

1. Biogeochemical Cycles

2. Introduction • There are many different types of energy and matter in our ecosystem • All of the biotic and abiotic factors are composed of different elements and energy • The unique structure of elements and energy compose everything on our earth

3. Introduction • Matter and energy are never created or destroyed • No matter the size, heat or power in a reaction • Energy will never be created or destroyed • Matter will never be created or destroyed • This is an important physical property that helps us understand our world http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BVxEEn3w688 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwJJK4korRg http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dExpJAECSL8 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gxm_qpKh7Jw

4. DEMO

5. Introduction • The same physical properties hold true for our environment • Matter and energy are never created, lost and destroyed • This means that the CO2 that you breathe out will never be lost

6. Changing of Matter • Matter and energy can change forms and still never be lost or destroyed • We can change water to ice and still keep the H2O • We can change CO2 and make it into glucose

7. Changing of Matter • In the environment, energy and matter are often changed and used differently • The different forms of energy can be used by different organisms and different systems on the planet

8. Biogeochemical Cycles • Since matter and energy are never destroyed, often times energy is moved from place to place in an ecosystem • Often times specific ecologists can predict where certain types of energy and matter will move to

9. Biogeochemical Cycles • The predictable movements of matter and energy in our environment are described as biogeochemical cycles • These cycles move all of the matter and energy in our environment

10. The Role of Water • Water is crucial for many of life's functions • Since cells are made up of 70% to 90% water, it is essential that water is available • The availability of water is one of the main factors of life in terrestrial systems

11. The Role of Water • Terrestrial systems need water in order to function • Think about the ecosystems on earth • The ecosystems that do not have access to water do not support a large amount of life

12. Water In Ecosystems • Organisms hold some of the water that is in terrestrial ecosystems • This water is held in the cells of the organisms • However this water is relatively small • This water is also being used in cell processes and has to be replaced

13. Water In Ecosystems • For us to find enough water for life to be maintained, we cannot rely on water already in organisms • Saltwater and freshwater make up the largest stockpiles of water on Earth • About 3% of all free water is freshwater • About 97% of all free water is saltwater

15. Water in Ecosystems • The water that makes up ecosystems can be trapped below or above ground • Water that is trapped under rock and soil is ground water • Water in the air is water vapor

16. The Water Cycle • The water cycle has no starting point, but we will start from the ocean • The sun heats up the large surface area in the ocean and causes some of the water to evaporate • This changes the water from a liquid to a gas

17. The Water Cycle • Wind and rising air currents will take the evaporated water into the atmosphere • In the atmosphere water is turned back into droplets of water or ice because of the lower temperatures • These droplets of water and ice can be seen from the ground and are known as clouds

18. The Water Cycle • The water will then fall out of the sky as precipitation • Precipitation can take many forms, and most are based on the temperature in the atmosphere • Rain • Snow • Sleet

19. The Water Cycle • The precipitation covers the ground and permeates the soil with moisture • This water is then accessible to organisms on terrestrial ecosystems

20. The Water Cycle • When the precipitation hits land it can travel back into surface or underwater rivers and streams • This is considered runoff • It helps feed most bodies of water on land

21. The Water Cycle • The rivers and streams wind across the landscape and may interconnect • Smaller rivers may combine to create bigger rivers • However all rivers and streams end up feeding into the ocean

22. The Water Cycle • By rivers feeding back into the oceans, the water cycle becomes complete • There is no start or end point to the water cycle • It continually moves water around the planet

24. Review • http://education.jlab.org/reading/water_cycle.html http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDyPkjQxkas&feature=related

25. Carbon • Carbon is one of the six essential molecules for life • Carbon comprises many of the macromolecules • Proteins • Carbohydrates • Lipids

26. Carbon • Carbon has to be physically changed for most organisms to be able to use it • Carbon enters living systems from photosynthesis • During photosynthesis CO2 is changed to C6H12O6 • The sugars can be used by organisms

27. Carbon • Carbon exists in our environment in four main categories • Carbon Dioxide (CO2) • Carbonate Rocks (Limestone and Coral) • Deposits of oil and natural gas • Dead organic matter (humus)

28. The Enter and Exit of Carbon • The concentration of carbon in living matter is very high • It is around 18% • The concentration of carbon in abiotic aspects of the earth is very low • It is around .2% • This means living organisms have to retain their carbon because they cannot get it from the earth

29. Enter and Exit of Carbon • Carbon is then returned by organisms breaking down C6H12O6 and turning it into CO2 • This happens during cellular respiration • All organisms perform cellular respiration

30. The Carbon Cycle • The Carbon cycle has no beginning or end • Much like the water cycle we could start from any point and complete the cycle • We are going to start at a producer level

31. The Carbon Cycle • Producers take carbon dioxide and use it create sugars • Some of those sugars are incorporated into structure • Cellulose and Sucrose • Some of those sugars are used for energy as glucose

32. The Carbon Cycle • A primary consumer will eat the producers • They will take the carbohydrates and use the glucose from them to build their own structural tissues • Structural tissues are made of large amounts of carbon

33. The Carbon Cycle • Any number of secondary consumers can then gain carbon from the primary producer • The carbon is passed from the animal tissues into the secondary consumer

34. The Carbon Cycle • Both the primary and secondary consumers give carbon back to the environment • They give it back to the environment in the form of CO2 that they breathe out • This completes our natural carbon cycle

35. The Carbon Cycle

36. Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U3SZKJVKRxQ

37. Human Impact • Humans produce large amount of CO2 • This is through the burning of natural gasses and fossil fuels • We do this in industry, transportation and heating

38. Human Impact • By burning fossil fuels humans add a more CO2 than the environment can deal with • The CO2 cannot be processed fast enough by the producers • This creates a large input to one part of the cycle

39. The Human Impact • The CO2 humans produce is starting to increase in our atmosphere • This CO2 is a greenhouse gas that has been linked to global warming

40. Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V1O34cqerqs&feature=related

41. Composition of Air • Air is composed of different compounds and elements • It has around around 78% Nitrogen • In the form of (N2) • It has around 21% oxygen • In the form of (O2) • It is composed of around 1.5% other compounds • Argon .9% • CO2 .03% • Other compounds .5%

42. Composition of Air • This makes nitrogen the most common gas in our environment • You would think that it would be abundant and easy to use • However nitrogen is a difficult material to convert from a gas

43. Nitrogen Fixation • In order to have nitrogen in a useable form it has to change from the N2 in air • The nitrogen must be put in a usable form • One useable form is ammonia

44. Nitrogen Fixation • In order for a N2 to be converted to NH4 (or NH3-)there has to be a way for it to change • Nitrogen will not spontaneously convert to ammonia • There needs to be a process

45. The Nitrogen Cycle • Once again the nitrogen cycle has no beginning point, but we will start at a location • We will start with producers • However we have to start with a specialized group of producers that “fix” Nitrogen • This means that make something useable from N2

46. The Nitrogen Cycle • In soil the place that has the most life is right next to the roots of plants • This is because many microorganisms live in this area • We call this area the rhizosphere

47. The Nitrogen Cycle • Bacteria that live right around the roots are called mycorrhizal bacteria • These bacteria are close enough to interact with the plant and can form a symbiotic relationship with the plant

48. The Nitrogen Cycle • Legumes are plants with dry fruit that have a symbiotic relationship with mycorrhizal bacteria • We mostly call them bean plants

49. The Nitrogen Cycle • Most legumes can support bacteria that fix nitrogen • These bacteria form nodes or “bumps” on the roots of these plants • These bacteria change N2 to a useable form of nitrogen

50. The Nitrogen Cycle • The useable ammonia from these plants is then eaten by primary and secondary consumers • The nitrogen taken from the producers is incorporated into the consumer structure • The consumers use the nitrogen in their tissues