3.4- Cycles of Matter

Question 1

Unlike to one-way flow of energy- matter is:

Answer 1

recycled within and between ecosystems

Question 2

What are biogeochemical cycles?

Answer 2

closed loops in which elements pass from one organism to another and among parts of the biosphere

Question 3

What are biogeochemical cycles powered by?

Answer 3

the flow of energy

Question 4

Cycles of matter involve:

Answer 4

biological, geological and chemical processes, human activity

Question 5

As matter is moved through the cycles:

Answer 5

it is transformed- never created or destroyed only changed

Question 6

Biological processes:

Answer 6

all activites perfomed by living organisms

Ex: eating, breathing, burning food, elimating waste products

Question 7

Geological processes:

Answer 7

volcanic eruptions, formation and breakdown of rock, major movements of matter within and below the surface of the earth

Question 8

Chemical and Physical processes:

Answer 8

formation of clouds, precipitation, flow of running water, the action of lightning

Question 9

Human activity:

things that effect cycles of matter on a global scale:

Answer 9

mining and burning of fossil fuels, clearing of land for building/farming, burning of forests, manufacture and use of fertilizers

Question 10

Biological, geological, chemical, physical, processes and human activity pass the same atoms/molecules:

Answer 10

around again and again the biosphere (never ending cycle)

Question 11

Example of the cycle of matter for an atom:

Answer 11

carbon atom in CO2 that has came up from a volcane, blueberryp lant absorbes that carbom atom during photosynthesis, caribou eats the blueberry, then carbon atom passes out the caribou, swallwd by dung bettle whoch is eaten by shrew, carbon atom is combined in its tissue, then eated by owl, and gets released by in atmosphere when it exhales finally dissolve in a drop of rain water and flow through the river into the ocean

Question 12

In the water cycle:

Answer 12

water continuously moves between the oceans, atmosphere, land and sometimes outside and inside living things

Question 13

Water Cycle 1st step:

Answer 13

water from oceans/lakes evaporates and condenses into clouds

physical/chemical

Question 14

Water Cycle 2nd step:

Answer 14

water falled to surface as precipitation; surface runoff leads through rives to lakes nad oceans, some water seeps into the ground becoming groundwater

physical/chemical

Question 15

Water cycle 3rd step:

Answer 15

groundwater taken up by plant roots is released into the atmosphere through transpiration

biological

Question 16

What are nutrients?

Answer 16

chemical substances that an organism needs to sustain life

Question 17

Why do organisms need nutrients?

Answer 17

to build tissue and carry out life functons

Question 18

How do nutrients pass through organisms and the envirnoment?

Answer 18

through biogeochemical cycles

Question 19

What are the 3 critical nutrient cycles?

Answer 19

carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus

Question 20

How does oxygen cycle through the biosphere?

Answer 20

oxygen combines with the elements and cycles with them; repiration and photosynthesis also contribute

Question 21

What is calcium carbonate important for?

Answer 21

skeletons and found in rocks (CaCO3)

Question 22

What is carbon dioxide important for?

Answer 22

important part of atmosphere and is dissolved in oceans

Question 23

What are fossil fuels?

Answer 23

coal, oil, natural gas; fossilized carbon, ancient forests, marine organisms containing carbon have been buried and transformed into fossil fuels

Question 24

Where are resources of carbon in the biosphere?

Answer 24

atmosphere, oceans, rocks, fossil fuels, forests

Question 25

Describe the carbon cycle:

Question 26

Why do all organisms need nitrogen?

Answer 26

to make amino acids

Question 27

Nitrogen gas (N2) is how much of the atmosphere?

Answer 27

78%

Question 28

Where is nitrogen found?

Answer 28

ammonia, nitrate ions, nitrite ions is soil, waste of organisms, dead/decaying matter

Question 29

What is nitrogen fixation?

Answer 29

only some bacteria can use N2 directly, so they convert nitrogen gas into ammonia

other bacteria convert fixed nitrogen into nitrates and nitrites

Question 30

What is denitrification?

Answer 30

some bacteria obtain energy by converting nitrates into nitrogen gas which is releaseed into atmosphere in this process

Question 31

Describe the nitrogen cycle:

Question 32

Why is phosphorus important?

Answer 32

part of DNA and RNA, but not abundant in biosphere

Question 33

How is phosphorus cycled?

Answer 33

does not enter in atmosphere, but in inorganic phosphate on land

Question 34

Describe the phosphate cycle:

Question 35

If ample sunlight and water are avaliable:

Answer 35

the primary productivity (rate at which primary producers create organic material), of an ecosystem may be limited by the avaiability of nutrients

Question 36

What is a limiting nutrient?

Answer 36

the nutrient whose supply limits productivity

even a single essential nutrient that is in short supply can limit primary productivity

Question 37

What is the purpose of fertilizer?

Answer 37

growth of crops typically limited by one or more nutrients that must be taken up by plants through roots

Question 38

How is fertilizer made up?

Answer 38

contain large amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium; micronutrients (small amounts) of calcium, magnisium, sulfur, iron

Question 39

What are the limiting nutrients of seawater and freshwater?

Answer 39

seawaer: nitrogen
Freshwater: phosphorus

Question 40

What causes algae bloom?

Answer 40

heavy rain/runoff from fertilized feilds input large amount of limiting nutrient