Label the Following Diagram of the Water Cycle.
Explain what is happening
1. What is the Water Cycle?
2. What fuels the Water Cycle?
3. Does the Water Cycle ever end?
4. Is the Water Cycle an example of a Closed Loop System or Open Loop System? Explain.
5. When water changes state, is this exothermic or endothermic changes? Give example and explain.
a.
b.
c.
Label the Following Diagram of the Carbon Cycle.
Explain what is happening
1. What is the Carbon Cycle?
2. What fuels the Carbon Cycle?
3. Does the Carbon Cycle ever end?
4. Is the Carbon Cycle an example of a Closed Loop System or Open Loop System? Explain.
5. Is there any kind of feedback loop as part of this cycle?
6. What are the important parts?
Label the Following Diagram of the Nitrogen Cycle.
Explain what is happening
1. What is the Nitrogen Cycle?
2. Explain the process of nitrogen fixing?
3. How important is this cycle to human existence?
4. How are humans altering or changing this cycle?
5. What fuels the Nitrogen cycle?
6. Is the Nitrogen Cycle a Closed system or an Open system? Explain.
Label the Following Diagram of the Phosphorus Cycle:
Explain what is happening
1. What is the Phosphorus Cycle?
2. Explain how phosphorus is released into the environment?
3. How important is this cycle to human existence?
4. How are humans altering or changing this cycle?
5. What one part of the Phosphorus cycle is different from the other three?
6. Is the Phosphorus Cycle a Closed system or an Open system? Explain
7. What other cycle is phosphorus a part of?
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Condensation
Evapotranspiration
Groundwater discharge
Infiltration
Snowmelt runoff to streams
Streamflow
Surface runoff
Water storage in ice and snow
Desublimation
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Evaporation
Freshwater storage
Groundwater storage
Precipitation
Spring
Sublimation
Water storage in the atmosphere
Water storage in oceans
Plant uptake
Ecosystem Cycles- the interactions between the biotic (living) and abiotic (nonliving) components
A. Water Cycle (Hydrologic cycle) - Nature’s way of recycling water.
1. The sun’s energy fuels the system
2. Surface water evaporates into the air (changes from liquid to gas) changing to water
vapor; also plants release water vapor into the air through the process called
transpiration
3. Once vapor droplets hit dust particles in the air, droplets condense forming clouds.
4. When clouds moisture is too heavy for gravity to hold in the air, the water returns to
earth as precipitation (rain, snow, sleet, hail, dew)
5. As water returns to earth, it lands in surface water or on land. On land water will either
runoff or soak (percolate) into the ground.
B. Carbon-Oxygen Cycle
1. Photosynthesis- plants use the energy from sunlight to combine carbon dioxide- CO2
and water- H2O to produce sugar- C2H6O2. These sugars provide energy and the base,
carbon-C for proteins, oils and starches. Plants also produce oxygen-O as a waste
product.
2. Respiration- carbon containing compounds (organic compounds) break down and
release carbon dioxide
C. Nitrogen Cycle
1. Fixers- plants and animals need nitrogen to make protein but cannot use
atmospheric nitrogen; special bacteria found in the soil and water change
nitrogen gas into nitrate ions- NO3- or ammonium ions-NH4+
2. Legumes- peas, beans, alfalfa, clover, vetches and locust trees; have nodules
on their roots which house the nitrogen fixing bacteria
a. Animals get nitrogen in the form of protein from eating plants or plant-eating
animals
b. Special bacteria breaks down the nitrogen compounds from dead plants and
animals and releases unused nitrogen back into the atmosphere
D. Mineral Cycle
1. Rocks store calcium-Ca and phosphorus-P.
2. Weathering- erosion process releases the minerals; physical and chemical
forces
3. Physical processes- wind, water freezing and thawing, roots
Erosion – movement of weathered rock by wind, water, ice or gravity
4. Chemical processes- acidic rain, root chemicals