B4.1.6 Flashcards
Where do plants obtain the nutrients they need for growth from
The soil
Where are the nutrients then passed to
They are passed onto the animals when the plants are eaten
What happens when plants and other organisms die
Decomposers release the trapped nutrients. Some are released back into the soil and some are released back into the atmosphere.
What is this process called
This process is called nutrient cycling.
Where can carbon become trapped in
In rocks
What is the nitrogen cycle
1) Nitrogen in the air is fixed by bacteria in some plants such as legumes converting it into nitrates
2) The plants get eaten by animals
3) The animals excrete or the plants and animals decay converting it to ammonia by decomposers
4) Nitrifying bacteria in the soil then turns the ammonia into nitrates
5) The nitrates are then absorbed by the plants or denitrifying bacteria release the nitrogen
What is the water cycle
1) Precipitation as water droplets in clouds get heavier they fall as rain, snow or hail
2) Transpiration loss of water vapour from plants into the atmosphere
OR
2) Percolation water trickles throw gaps in soil and rocks
3) Evaporation - sun heats the earth’s surface and water is turned from a liquid into water vapour forming warm moist air
4) Condensation as air rises it cools and condenses back into liquid water droplets producing clouds
How much of the atmosphere is made up by nitrogen
Around 80 percent
