Name Class Date

Earth’s Environmental Systems

Before you read the chapter, answer each question with information you know. After
you complete the chapter, re-answer the questions using information you learned.

How Do the Nonliving Parts of Earth’s

Systems Provide the Basic Materials to Support Life?
What I Know What I Learned

Sample answer: Clean Sample answer: The

water and clean air chemical properties of
3.1  What properties
molecules, compounds,
of matter are most
important to environ- and macromolecules
mental systems?

Sample answer: Farm- Sample answer: Complex relation-

3.2  What types of
systems play roles
in environmental
science?
ing, waste disposal, and ships among species and their
climate interactions with nonliving things,
and the cycles that shape land-
scapes, guide the flow of essential
chemicals and compounds, and
regulate climate

Sample answer: Geosphere Sample answer: Geosphere: the rock at

3.3  What are the
characteristics of
Earth’s geosphere,
biosphere, atmo-
sphere, and hydro-
sphere?
refers to the earth; bio-
sphere includes all life on
Earth; atmosphere refers
to the sky above Earth’s
surface; hydrosphere refers
to water
and below Earth’s surface; biosphere:
the living or once-living things on Earth
and the nonliving things with which they
interact; atmosphere: the layers of gases
surrounding Earth; hydrosphere: the water
on and below Earth’s surface and in the
atmosphere

Sample answer: Plants Sample answer: Nutri-

3.4  How do nutri-
ents cycle through
the environment?
get nutrients from the ents are not created or
soil. People and animals destroyed. Instead, their
get nutrients from eat- form changes as they con-
ing plants or from eating tinuously move through
animals that have eaten the various pathways of
plants. the biogeochemical cycles.

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 Name Class Date

3.1 Matter and the Environment

Key Concepts
Atoms and elements are the building blocks of chemistry.
Proteins, nucleic acids, carbohydrates, and lipids are the building blocks of life.
Water is a unique compound with several unusual properties that make it essential to
life.

SKILL BUILDER Vocabulary Preview

Define each vocabulary term in your own words. Then, write yourself a quick note on
how you will remember each. One term has been done for you.

Term Definition How I Remember

Matter Any material that has mass and Accept all reasonable responses for
occupies space How I Remember. A few samples
are provided.

Atom The basic unit of matter Atom starts with the first letter of
the alphabet, and an atom is the
first, most basic unit of matter.

Element A chemical substance that has

a specific set of properties that
cannot be broken down into sub-
stances with other properties
Nucleus The central core of any atom that The nucleus of an atom is in the
contains protons and neutrons center, just like the nucleus of a
cell.

Molecule A combination of two or more

atoms of the same or different
types joined by a covalent bond

Compound A substance made up of atoms of

two or more different elements

Hydrocarbon An organic compound that contains The prefix hydro– means “combined with
only hydrogen and carbon hydrogen,” so hydrocarbon means “car-
bon combined with hydrogen.”

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36
 Name Class Date

Term Definition How I Remember

Solution A mixture of evenly distributed
ingredients

Macromolecule A large molecule I know that macro is the opposite

of micro, which means “small.” So
macromolecules must be big.

Protein An organic compound made up of

carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitro-
gen, and sometimes sulfur

Nucleic acid A long chain of nucleotides that con-

tains a sugar molecule, a phosphate
group, and a nitrogenous base, and
directs protein production
Carbohydrate A polymer made up of carbon,
hydrogen, and oxygen

Lipid A macromolecule made up of

carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and
sometimes phosphorus that does
not dissolve in water
pH A measure of a solution’s acidity
or alkalinity, or its hydrogen ion
concentration

Building Blocks of Chemistry

Match each term with the statement that best describes it.
c 1. element a. the negatively charged part of an atom
a 2. electron b. water, for example
c. its properties cannot be broken down any
b 3. compound further
4. Write a sentence that shows the relationship between matter and atoms.
Sample answer: Atoms are the basic units of matter.

5. Give two examples of substances that contain hydrocarbons.

Sample answer: Petroleum, wood smoke

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37
 Name Class Date

Macromolecules
For Questions 6–8, circle the letter of the correct answer.
6. The characteristic that best defines a macromolecule is its
A. size.
B. function.
C. life cycle.
D. chemical makeup.
7. All of the following macromolecules are polymers EXCEPT
A. lipids.
B. proteins.
C. nucleic acids.
D. carbohydrates.
8. All of the following are part of a carbohydrate EXCEPT
A. carbon.
B. oxygen.
C. hydrogen.
D. phosphorus.
9. Explain how macromolecules are involved in passing traits from parents to offspring.
Sample answer: The nucleic acids DNA and RNA are macromolecules made of long
chains of nucleotides. They store and carry the genetic information that is passed
from one generation to another during cell division and egg or sperm formation.

Water
For Questions 10–12, write True if the statement is true. If the statement is false, replace
the underlined word to make the statement true. Write your changes on the line.

hydrogen 10. Water molecules adhere to each other through covalent bonds.
True 11. Its cohesion allows water to transport nutrients and wastes in
plants and animals.
acidic 12. A solution with a pH less than 7 is basic.
13. How does water resist changes in temperature?
Heating weakens the bonds in water, but does not initially increase molecular
motion. Therefore, water is able to absorb a large amount of energy with only small
changes in its temperature.

14. Why is water called “the universal solvent”?

Water’s polarity allows it to dissolve many other molecules.
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38
 Name Class Date

SKILL BUILDER Organize Information

15. Fill in the compare/contrast table below with information about the different types of matter.

O2 Hydrocarbons Protein DNA

Matter Molecule Compound Macromolecule Macromolecule
type

Description Two atoms of Contains only Consists of car- Two long chains
oxygen joined by hydrogen and bon, hydrogen, of nucleotides
a covalent bond carbon oxygen, nitrogen, twisted to form
and sometimes a double helix
sulfur

Function Sample answer: Sample answer: Sample answer: Sample answer:

A component of Part of petro- Produces body Stores genetic
water leum products; tissues, provides information
can be toxic to support, stores
organisms energy, trans-
ports substances

3.1 SELF-CHECK
Answer the questions to test your knowledge of lesson concepts. You can check your
work using the answers on the bottom of the page.

16. Is water an element? Why or why not?

17. Describe the special properties of water that allow it to support life on Earth.





ecules in solutions.
and insulate underwater environments. Water is a universal solvent, which allows it to hold important mol-
stabilizes aquatic systems and their climates. Liquid water is denser than frozen water, which allows ice to float
itself, which allows it to carry materials in plants and animals. Water is resistant to temperature change, which
16. No. It is a compound because it is made up of two elements, hydrogen and oxygen. 17. Water sticks to

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39
 Name Class Date

3.2 Systems in Environmental Science

Key Concepts
An output of one of Earth’s systems is often also an input to that or another system.
Earth’s geosphere, biosphere, atmosphere, and hydrosphere are defined according to
their functions in Earth’s systems.

SKILL BUILDER Vocabulary Preview

Define each vocabulary term in your own words. Then, write yourself a quick note on
how you will remember each. One term has been done for you.

Term Definition How I Remember

Feedback loop A cyclical process in which some- Accept all reasonable responses
thing is both an input and output for How I Remember. A few
in the same system samples are provided.

Erosion The removal of soil by water, I think of erode, which means “to
wind, ice, or gravity wear away.”

Geosphere All of the rock at and below The prefix geo– gives me a clue
Earth’s surface because it is also part of geology,
which is the study of rocks.

Lithosphere The hard rock on and just below

Earth’s surface

Biosphere All the living or once-living things The prefix boi– means “living,”
on Earth and the nonliving things and sphere is a planet; so bio-
with which they interact sphere means “the living things
and their environment on Earth.”
Atmosphere The layers of gases surrounding
Earth

Hydrosphere All the water on and below Earth’s Hydrosphere reminds me of a water
surface and in the atmosphere hydrant.

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40
 Name Class Date

SKILL BUILDER Reading Strategy

As you read the lesson, complete each statement by writing in the correct word or words.

1. A system is a network of parts, elements, or components that interact

with and influence one another.

2. Systems receive and process inputs of energy, matter, or information, and

produce outputs of energy, matter, or information.

3. Systems do not have well-defined boundaries , which makes it difficult to

decide where one system ends and another begins.

4. Systems may exchange energy, matter , and/or information with other

systems.

5. Inputs into Earth’s systems can include both solar energy and
geothermal energy.
6. An event that is both a cause and an effect is a cyclical process known as a
feedback loop , and can be either positive or negative.
7. A predator-prey relationship in which the two populations rise and fall in response to each
other is an example of a negative feedback loop.

8. Negative feedback loops enhance stability by canceling an action once it

reaches an extreme.

9. Erosion is an example of a positive feedback loop.

10. Positive feedback loops are relatively rare in nature but

common in environmental systems that people have changed.

11. Scientists divide Earth into spheres, which are often described by their makeup
rather than by their location.

12. Earth’s geosphere is made up of all the rock at and below the surface of
Earth.
13. The sphere of the Earth that consists of all the planet’s living or once-living
things and the nonliving parts of the environment with which they interact is the
biosphere .
14. The outermost layer of Earth and the geosphere is known as the lithosphere .
15. The hydrosphere includes all water on Earth, including all forms of liquid, solid, and
vapor .

16. Earth’s spheres both overlap and interact .

17. An earthworm tunneling through the soil is an example of the biosphere interacting with
the lithosphere .

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 Name Class Date

Interacting Systems
18. Use the concept of a computer system to explain why it is difficult to determine clear
distinct boundaries to a system. Include sample descriptions in your answer.
Sample answer: It is difficult to determine distinct boundaries for the computer
system. You could simply consider the computer and monitor as the computer sys-
tem. Or you could include the network that the computer is connected to, which
includes many other computers. You could also include the electrical system that it
plugs into, which could extend as far as the power plants and transmission lines.

19. Give an example of each type of input into Earth’s systems.
Sample answer: Energy in the form of solar energy; information in the form of sen-
sory cues; matter in the form of chemicals or physical materials

20. Explain how a negative feedback loop works. Use a thermostat as an example.
Sample answer: A thermostat stabilizes a room’s temperature by turning on the fur-
nace when the room gets cold and shutting off the furnace when the room gets hot.

21. Describe the effects of a positive feedback loop.

A positive feedback loop pushes a system to an extreme, making it less stable.

22. Contrast the two different types of feedback loops in terms of how they affect the stability
of a system.
Negative feedback loops stabilize systems by canceling out the effects of input and
output. Positive feedback systems create instability by driving the system toward an
extreme.

23. Think Visually   Write in the boxes to complete the following on how the human body
relies on a negative feedback loop to respond to heat and cold.

Brain
(control center)
Seek shade
Seek shade Body cools
Too hot Sweat
Sweat

Wear more clothes Body warms

Too cold
Shiver

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42
 Name Class Date

Earth’s “Spheres”
For Questions 24–26, write True if the statement is true. If the statement is false, replace
the underlined word to make the statement true. Write your changes on the line.

True 24. The lithosphere is part of the geosphere.

biosphere 25. A human being is part of Earth’s lithosphere.
True 26. The hydrosphere includes water in Earth’s atmosphere.
27. How are Earth’s spheres defined?
By their function, makeup, and location

28. What are the components of Earth’s geosphere?

All the rock at and below Earth’s surface
29. What materials make up Earth’s biosphere?
All living and once-living things and the nonliving parts of their environments

30. Give an example of how two of Earth’s spheres overlap or interact.

Sample answer: An earthworm (part of the biosphere) tunnels through soil (part of
the geosphere).

3.2 SELF-CHECK
Answer the questions to test your knowledge of lesson concepts. You can check your
work using the answers on the bottom of the page.

31. Compare negative feedback and positive feedback loops.

32. Give examples of each of Earth’s spheres from the environment in which you live.



part of the atmosphere.
the plants, animals, and people who live in my neighborhood are part of the biosphere; the air I breathe is
neighborhood is part of the hydrosphere; the soil and rock that my school is built on are part of the geosphere;
other out and stabilize the system; instead they drive it to an extreme. 32. Sample answer: The lake in my
the other and so stabilizing the system. In a positive feedback loop, the input and output do not cancel each
moving in one direction acts as input that causes the system to move in the other direction, the one canceling
31. Both are cyclical processes in which an event is both input and output. In a negative feedback loop, output

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43
 Name Class Date

3.3 Earth’s Spheres

Key Concepts
Earth’s geosphere consists of the crust, the mantle, and the core.
Earth’s biosphere and atmosphere are the living Earth and the ocean of gases that
supports and protects it.
Water cycles through the lithosphere, biosphere, and atmosphere endlessly.

SKILL BUILDER Vocabulary Preview

Define each vocabulary term in your own words. Then, write yourself a quick note on
how you will remember each. One term has been done for you.

Term Definition How I Remember

Crust A thin layer of relatively cool rock Accept all reasonable responses
that forms Earth’s outer skin both for How I Remember. A few
on dry land and in the ocean samples are provided.

Mantle A layer of very hot but mostly

solid rock below the crust

Core The part of Earth beneath the I picture the core of an apple,
mantle; Earth’s center which is in the middle.

Tectonic plate A large section of lithosphere that I picture a dinner plate being moved
moves over Earth’s surface on a tabletop.

Landform A mountain, island, continent, or I divide the word in half and

other feature that forms above reverse it to read “form (of) land.”
and beneath the ocean’s surface

Deposition The depositing of eroded soil at a

new location

Evaporation The conversion of a substance I think of vapor, the state liquid

from a liquid to a gas changes to as it evaporates.

Transpiration The release of water vapor

through the leaves of plants

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44
 Name Class Date

Term Definition How I Remember

Precipitation Water that returns from the
atmosphere to Earth’s surface

Condensation A change in state from a gas to a

liquid

Aquifer A layer of rock and soil that holds

water underground

Groundwater Fresh water found underground

The Geosphere
1. Complete the following paragraph with terms from the word bank.

asthenosphere   core   crust   geosphere   mantle   tectonic plates

The geosphere is made up of all the rocks and minerals on or below

Earth’s surface. The outer part of the geosphere is called the crust ,
which forms the land we live on as well as the ocean bottom. The hot rock beneath this
layer is known as the mantle and includes the uppermost lithosphere as
well as the softer asthenosphere . As this layer moves, it drags large sections of
lithosphere, called tectonic plates , across Earth’s surface. Earth’s center is called the
core and is made up of molten and solid metals.
2. How does plate tectonics influence the characteristics of Earth’s surface?
Sample answer: As the tectonic plates move, they combine, separate, and
recombine—creating and changing landforms that affect climate, soil, and the
ability of plants and animals to live in a particular region.

3. Define the three different types of plate boundaries.
Divergent plate boundaries: areas where molten rock pushes plates apart; transform
plate boundaries: areas where plates slip and grind alongside each other; conver-
gent plate boundaries: areas where plates move toward each other

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 Name Class Date

The Biosphere and Atmosphere

4. Why is Earth’s biosphere called “the living Earth”?
Living organisms, and the nonliving things they interact with, exist only on or near
Earth’s surface­— in the biosphere.
5. Define ozone and explain its purpose.
Ozone is a gas made up of oxygen molecules that each have three oxygen atoms. It
protects the biosphere from the sun’s radiation.

6. How do the greenhouse gases in Earth’s atmosphere affect our environment?

Carbon dioxide, methane, and other greenhouse gases keep Earth warm enough to
support life.

The Hydrosphere
For Questions 7–12, match each term with the statement that best describes it.

a 7. evaporation a. the process by which water in a lake

becomes water vapor
d 8. transpiration
b. the upper limit of fresh water stored
e 9. precipitation underground
c 10. condensation c. the process by which water vapor in the
air becomes dew
f 11. aquifer
d. the process by which blades of grass
b 12. water table release water vapor
e. rain or snow
f. the place where fresh water collects
underground

13. On the lines below, write a paragraph that describes the distribution of salt water and fresh
water on Earth.
Sample answer: About 97.5 percent of Earth’s water is salt water in the oceans and
salt lakes. Of the 2.5 percent that is fresh water, more than three quarters is ice.
Only about 0.5 percent of Earth’s water is fresh water that can be used for drinking
or watering crops, and much of that water is underground.
14. Describe two human activities that can affect the water cycle.
Sample answer: Clearing plants from Earth’s surface increases runoff, erosion, and
evaporation, and decreases transpiration. Unrestrained use of fresh water for farm-
ing and industry depletes groundwater.

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46
 Name Class Date

SKILL BUILDER Organize Information

15. Complete the chart by filling in at least two characteristics about each sphere.

Sphere Characteristics Sample answers appear below.

Geosphere Contains the crust, mantle, and core
Consists of rocks and minerals
Plate tectonics in the mantle create various landforms that
determine where different types of animals can live
Atmosphere Contains oxygen, ozone, and greenhouse gases
Acts as a global sunscreen
Keeps Earth warm enough to support life

Biosphere Contains the living or once-living organisms on Earth

Gases used and expelled by organisms here affect the composi-
tion of gases in the atmosphere

Hydrosphere Contains all of Earth’s water—salt water, fresh water, on Earth’s

surface, underground, and in the atmosphere
Perpetuates water cycles through the lithosphere, biosphere, and
atmosphere

3.3 SELF-CHECK
Answer the questions to test your knowledge of lesson concepts. You can check your
work using the answers on the bottom of the page.

16. Describe how organisms in the biosphere affect the atmosphere and vice versa.

17. Give an example of how water moves through the water cycle in liquid, gaseous, and solid
forms.



form: frozen water falls to Earth as precipitation (snow).
liquid water from soil; gaseous form: plants release water vapor through their leaves (transpiration); solid
atmosphere protect and support organisms in the biosphere. 17. Sample answer: Liquid form: plants take up
16. Organisms in the biosphere affect the atmosphere by taking in and expelling gases; and the gases in the

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47
 Name Class Date

3.4 Biogeochemical Cycles

Key Concepts
Nutrients cycle through the environment endlessly.
Producers play vital roles in the cycling of carbon through the environment.
The phosphorus cycle keeps phosphorus availability naturally low.
The nitrogen cycle relies on bacteria that make nitrogen useful to organisms and
bacteria that can return it to the atmosphere.

SKILL BUILDER Vocabulary Preview

Define each vocabulary term in your own words. Then, write yourself a quick note on
how you will remember each. One term has been done for you.

Term Definition How I Remember

Law of A principle that states that matter Accept all reasonable responses
conservation can be transformed but cannot be for How I Remember. A few
of matter created or destroyed samples are provided.

Nutrient Matter that organisms need to I think of the word nutrition,

live which is related to nutrient.

Biogeochemical A complex cycle in which nutrients

cycle continuously circulate through the
environment

Primary An organism that produces its own Primary producer starts with P. So
producer food does plants, and plants are primary
producers.

Photosynthesis The process by which producers use

carbon dioxide, water, and sun-
light to make their own food

Consumer An organism that must eat other I picture the act of consuming,
organisms to get nutrients which is eating something.

Decomposer An organism that breaks down

wastes and dead organisms

Cellular The process by which organisms

respiration use oxygen to release the energy
in food and carbon dioxide and
water

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48
 Name Class Date

Term Definition How I Remember

Eutrophication An overgrowth of algae and other
producers

Nitrogen The conversion of nitrogen gas I think of how unusable nitrogen

fixation into ammonia, which makes is FIXed so that organisms can
nitrogen gas usable for organisms use it.

Nutrient Cycling
1. What is the law of conservation of matter?
The law of conservation of matter states that matter can be transformed but cannot
be created or destroyed.

2. Which four nutrients cycle through all of Earth’s spheres and organisms?
Carbon, oxygen, phosphorus, nitrogen

The Carbon Cycle

For Questions 3–5, write True if the statement is true. If the statement is false, replace the
underlined word or words to make the statement true. Write your changes on the line.

True 3. Only a producer can use the sun’s energy or chemical energy to
make food.
carbohydrates 4. The products of photosynthesis are oxygen and carbon dioxide.
decomposers 5. Bacteria, fungi, and other organisms that break down waste are
called consumers.
6. Why is cellular respiration important for life on Earth?
Cellular respiration is how organisms break down sugars in food to release the
chemical energy they need to live.

7. What impact do humans have on the carbon cycle?

Human activities—among them, burning fossil fuels and cutting and burning for-
ests—tend to increase carbon dioxide in the atmosphere beyond the level producers
can absorb.

8. Why do scientists think there is an undiscovered carbon sink somewhere?

Scientists measure how much carbon dioxide is released and how much is returned to
the atmosphere and oceans. A large amount of carbon is unaccounted for.

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 Name Class Date

The Phosphorus Cycle

9. Why is phosphorus important to living things?
Phosphorus is a key component of cell membranes and of molecules such as DNA
and RNA.

10. Where is phosphorus stored?

Phosphorus is stored in rocks, soil, sediments, and the oceans.

11. How do people obtain phosphorus?

Phosphorus can be taken up by the roots of plants if it is dissolved in water. People
acquire phosphorus by consuming water and plants.

12. How does the release of large amounts of phosphorus by humans cause problems?
Phosphorus released into water can cause eutrophication, an overgrowth of algae
and other producers. This can lead to hypoxia, or low levels of oxygen, and to dead
zones in bodies of water.

The Nitrogen Cycle

For Questions 13–17, circle the letter of the correct answer.

1 3. Most of the nitrogen on Earth is located in the

A. biosphere. C. atmosphere.
B. geosphere. D. hydrosphere.
1 4. Which of the following crops increases the amount of usable nitrogen in soil?
A. corn C. legumes
B. wheat D. tomatoes
1 5. The Haber-Bosch process enabled people to
A. fix nitrogen artificially. C. clean up nitrogen pollution.
B. create natural nitrogen. D. acquire nitrogen from plants.
16. Name two ways nitrogen can be fixed naturally for plant use.
Through the energy released by a lightning strike and by nitrogen-fixing bacteria
in soil

17. What happens to nitrogen during the process of denitrification?

Denitrifying bacteria convert nitrates (NO3−) in soil or water into nitrogen gas (N2).

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 Name Class Date

SKILL BUILDER Organize Information

18. Fill in the compare/contrast table with information about the different biogeochemical cycles.

Carbon Cycle Phosphorus Cycle Nitrogen Cycle

Role as Necessary to create Component of cell mem- Component of proteins,
Nutrient carbohydrates branes and molecules DNA, and RNA
such as DNA and RNA

Events Through photosynthesis, Plants take up phos- Nitrogen gas is changed

of Cycle producers use the sun’s
energy to convert car-
bon dioxide and water
to oxygen and sugars.
Through cellular respira-
tion, consumers take in
oxygen and sugars and
release carbon dioxide
and water.
phorus through their
roots. Consumers obtain
phosphorus from plants
and from water and
release it in their waste.
Decomposers return that
phosphorus to the soil.
into usable form natu-
rally or artificially and
taken up by plants. Con-
sumers obtain nitrogen
from plant or animal
foods. The nitrogen they
release is returned to the
atmosphere by denitrify-
ing bacteria.

EXTENSION  Explain how water plays a role in each of these biogeochemical cycles.
Answers will vary.

3.4 SELF-CHECK
Answer the questions to test your knowledge of lesson concepts. You can check your
work using the answers on the bottom of the page.

19. Describe how photosynthesis and cellular respiration help drive the carbon cycle.

20. Explain how the hydrosphere and geosphere participate in the phosphorus cycle.


becoming part of the lithosphere.
rock. The phosphorus is then available for plants and animals to use until it returns to rock as sediment, again
layer of the geosphere (lithosphere). Phosphorus is released when water in the hydrosphere wears away
two processes keep carbon moving through the cycle. 20. Most phosphorus is locked up in rocks in the upper
oxygen and carbohydrates. Cellular respiration puts carbon back into the air as carbon dioxide waste. The
19. In photosynthesis, organisms take sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide from the air and transform it into

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51
 Name Class Date

Chapter Vocabulary Review

Match each term with its definition.
g 1. tectonic plate a. soil removal by water, wind, ice, or
gravity
c 2. macromolecule
b. an organism that must eat other
k 3. aquifer organisms to obtain nutrients
e 4. primary producer c. a protein, nucleic acid, carbohydrate, or
lipid
j 5. feedback loop
d. an overgrowth of producers often caused
f 6. hydrocarbon by the release of phosphorus
e. an organism that can produce its own
i 7. landform
food
h 8. atom f. an organic compound that contains only
l 9. nutrient hydrogen and carbon
g. a large section of lithosphere that moves
d 10. eutrophication across Earth’s surface
m 11. law of conservation of matter h. the basic unit of matter
a 12. erosion i. a mountain, island, or continent that
forms above and below an ocean’s surface
b 13. consumer j. a cyclical process that can be either
positive or negative
k. an underground water reservoir
l. matter needed by an organism to live
m. that matter can be transformed but
not created or destroyed

Use each vocabulary term in a sentence.

14. solution
Sample answer: Solutions can be liquids, gases, or solids.

15. hydrosphere
Sample answer: Since nitrogen cannot cycle out of the atmosphere and

into organisms, it is scarce in the hydrosphere.

16. core
Sample answer: Earth’s outer core is almost as hot as the sun’s surface.

EXTENSION  On index cards, make drawings to represent ten vocabulary words from the
chapter. Write the vocabulary term on the back of each card. With a partner, take turns
trying to identify the drawings on each other’s cards. Check students’ work.

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 Name Class Date

Ecological Footprints T
MA H
0
0
UP
POR

T
S
Using Lawn Fertilizer
Approximately 60 million lawns are fertilized each year in the United States. About 15 pounds
of nitrogen are used to fertilize each lawn. In this activity, you will learn how to calculate the
total amount of nitrogen used to fertilize various numbers of lawns.

Calculating Total Amounts of Nitrogen Applied

1. Determine the number of lawns for your classmates, town, and state. Record your results
in the second column of the table. (Hint: Assume that each household in your town and
state has a lawn and that each lawn is one-third acre.)
Answers will vary depending on current populations.
Number of Pounds of
Fertilizer Application
Lawns Nitrogen

Your 1/3-acre lawn 1 15

The lawns of your classmates

The lawns in your town

All the lawns in your state

All the lawns in the United States 60,000,000 900,000,000

You can find the total amount of nitrogen applied to lawns by multiplying the number of
lawns by the amount of nitrogen applied per lawn, 15 pounds.
u The calculation of the total total amount number of pounds per
amount of nitrogen used in = ×
of nitrogen lawns lawn
fertilizing the lawns of a class
of 25 students is modeled at the = 25 lawns × 15 lb/lawn
right:
= 375 lb

The total amount of nitrogen applied to the lawns of

students in a class of 25 students is 375 pounds.

2. Use the model above to calculate the total amount of nitrogen applied to lawns by each
group in the table. Write your answers in the third column.
Check students’ work.

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 Name Class Date

The GULF OF
MEXICO’S Dead Zone
The Changing Size of the Dead Zone
The hypoxic zone, or area of low oxygen, in
the Gulf of Mexico varies in size from year to
year. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric
Administration (NOAA) supports research
that measures and monitors the size of the
dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico annually.
The graph below shows the results of such
research. This data help scientists determine
which factors cause the dead zone to grow or
shrink.
Most analyses show that the biggest factor
in the size of the dead zone is the amount of
nitrogen and other nutrients that reaches the
Gulf from the Mississippi River watershed
each spring. The U.S. Geological Survey
(USGS) measures the amount of nitrogen
that reaches the Gulf each year and correlates
that amount with the size of the dead zone.
Its scientists have found that when the
amount of nitrogen increases, the size of
the dead zone increases. Currently there are
several plans to reduce the size of the dead
zone to an acceptable level, indicated by the
Action Plan Goal line on the graph.
Although the dead zone is fueled by
nitrogen runoff, scientists know that short-
term weather patterns can also have an
effect on the size of the hypoxic region.
For example, when the region experiences
periods of extreme weather, the heavy winds
and wave activity cause more oxygen to
infuse into the waters—counteracting the
effects of nitrogen runoff and slowing the
growth of the dead zone. Scientists feel it
is important to track and account for these
short-term effects, in the model they are
developing to study the dead zone as well.
This way, they will be able to establish a link
between fertilizer runoff and size of the dead
zone without having the data skewed due to
weather effects. Establishing a good model
with all the data available can help achieve
the goals needed to reach acceptable levels.
With the dead zone reduced in size, the Gulf
of Mexico can then be restored for fishing
and recreation.

Area of Dead Zone, 1985–2007

9000
8000
Dead Zone Area (sq mi)

Long-Term
7000 Average
6000
5000
4000 Action Plan
Goal
3000
2000
1000
0
1988*
1989*
1985
1986
1987

1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007

Year *1988: value of data too small to appear

*1989: no data available
Data from N.N. Rabalais, Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium. Funded by NOAA, Center for Sponsored Coastal Ocean Research.

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54
 Name Class Date

Use the information from The Changing Size of the Dead Zone to answer the questions
below.
1. According to the bar graph, when did scientists begin taking measurements of the dead zone?
1985

2. What is the largest area that the dead zone has covered? In which year did it occur?
Between 8000 and 9000 square miles; 2002

3. Why is it useful to represent this information in a bar graph?

Sample answer: A bar graph allows you to quickly and easily see trends in the data.

4. What is the acceptable size of the dead zone area according to the Action Plan Goal?
Approximately 1700 square miles

5. What information from the USGS has been used to determine the factors that affect the
size of the dead zone? What information was learned?
The USGS measures the amount of nitrogen that reaches the Gulf from the Missis-
sippi River watershed each spring each year and correlates that information with
the size of the dead zone. Its scientists have found that when the amount of nitro-
gen increases, so does the size of the dead zone.

6. Does the existence of a dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico change what you
think about the Big Question: “How do the nonliving parts of Earth’s systems provide the
basic materials to support life?”
Answers will vary. Accept all reasonable responses. Students should have an under-
standing that human actions interfere with Earth’s systems.

Find out more about the changing size of the dead zone. Work in small groups and use the
Internet and other resources to research plans to reduce the size of the dead zone in the Gulf
of Mexico. Think about the plans you investigate and determine which one or ones are most
likely to work. Present your findings to the class.

The 21st Century Skills used in this activity include Critical Thinking and Problem Solving,
Communication and Collaboration, and Information Literacy.

  Log on for more information and activities on the Central

Case, The Gulf of Mexico’s Dead Zone.

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