Cycles

Water, Carbon, Nitrogen

Oxygen and Phosphorus
 Water (hydrologic) Cycle
Plants absorb water from the soil
Transpiration and respiration return
water to the atmosphere
Precipitation returns water to the soil
Nonmetal oxides in the atmosphere
combine with water to form acid rain
 The Carbon Cycle
• Carbon is fixed by plants
– 6 CO2 + 6 H2O  C6H12O6 + 6 O2
• Carbon is given off by consumers
– C6H12O6 + 6 O2  6 CO2 + 6 H2O
• Organisms containing carbon form fossil
fuels
• Burning fossil fuels releases carbon
– 2 C8H18 + 25 O2  16 CO2 + 18 H2O
Carbon Cycle
Arctic Carbon Cycling
 The Nitrogen Cycle
Bacteria fix nitrogen from the air
Consumers and producers incorporate
nitrogen into their tissues
Nitrogen can be fixed industrially from
the air
Production of ammonia
Decay processes return nitrogen to the air
Nitrogen from fertilizers may contaminate
water sources
Aquarium Nitrogen Cycle
 The Oxygen Cycle
• Oxygen is produced by photosynthesis
– 6 CO2 + 6 H2O  C6H12O6 + 6 O2
– The largest chemical process on earth!

• Oxygen is sequestered by respiration

– C6H12O6 + 6 O2  6 CO2 + 6 H2O
 C6H12O6 + 6 O2  6 CO2 + 6 H2O

6 CO2 + 6 H2O  C6H12O6 + 6 O2

 The Phosphorus Cycle
• The element phosphorus (P)is released in
the form of ionic phosphate (PO43-)
– Weathering of rock, mining, some detergents
and fertilizers
• Phosphate is taken up by plants and fungi
• Consumers absorb phosphate from plants
• Decomposers return phosphate to soil
• Phosphate leaches into water supply
– May form new phosphate containing rock