The Water Cycle
Explanation: The roles that water, in all forms, plays in our environment. Water travels
from the liquid state, precipitation, then to water in its gaseous state, evaporation
Evaporation- the conversion of a substance from a liquid to gas
Transpiration- the release of water vapor by plants through leaves
Condensation-a change in state from a gas to liquid
Precipitation-water returns from earth’s atmosphere to the surface
Humans Impact on the cycle:
· Increase runoff and erosion
· Increase evaporation
· Reduce transpiration
· By releasing certain pollutants into the atmosphere we cause
precipitation to become more acidic
The Phosphorus Cycle
Explanation: Mainly deals with the lithosphere and the oceans. Its main goal is to keep phosphorus mainly low.
Weathering- the process by which rocks are broken down into small grains and soil
Erosion-is a process where natural forces like water, wind, ice, and gravity wear away rocks and soil
Runoff- the draining of water
Uplift- exposing underground rocks to the surface
Uptake - the action of taking up or making use of something that is available.
Producers- pull carbon dioxide out of the air and out of surface water to use during
photosynthesis
Consumers - An organism that generally obtains food by feeding on other organisms
Decomposers- breaks down organic material returning phosphorus to the soil
Fertilizers and Detergents – provide essential nutrients to the soil Sediment and Sedimentary
Rocks- particles of rock blown by wind or washed by water finally come to rest downhill from their sources
Human impacts:
· People release phosphorus rich wastewater from their homes. We mine phosphorous to use as fertilizer
The Carbon Cycle
Explanation: Main goal is to cycle carbon throughout the environment.
Cellular Respiration-is the process by which organisms use oxygen to release the chemical energy of sugars and
release CO2 and water
Photosynthesis- the process producers use to make their food
Decomposition- the process of decaying
Ocean-Atmosphere Exchange
Volcanoes and other geological processes
Sedimentary Rocks- release some of its carbon thorough erosion and/or volcanic
eruptions
Consumers- must eat other organisms to gain nutrients
Producers (aquatic and terrestrial) - organisms that produce their own food
Decomposers- break down waste and dead organisms
Human Impact: By extracting fossil fuels we remove carbon from the lithosphere
When we burn these fuels we move carbon dioxide into the atmosphere
The Nitrogen Cycle
Explanation: relies on bacteria that makes nitrogen useful to organisms and bacteria that can
return it to the atmosphere
Fixation- conversion of nitrogen gas into ammonia
Nitrification- The transformation of ammonia to nitrite
Precipitation- acid rain Conversion by bacteria
Emissions- effects the cycle
DE nitrification-is a microbial facilitated process where
nitrate is reduced and ultimately produces molecular
nitrogen
Mining and Burning-burning fossil fuels releases nitrogen into the air
Groundwater - water held underground in the soil or in pores and crevices in rock.
Human Impact: The Haber-Bosch process enabled people to overcome the limits on plant
productivity imposed by the natural scarcity of nitrogen. Today, humans fix at least as much
nitrogen artificially as is fixed naturally.