Cornell Notes
Topic:
STUDY GUIDE
Section 5-2
NUTRIENT CYCLES
Name: ___________________________
Period: __________________________
Date: ____________________________
Essential Question: Describe how the cycling of materials is accomplished in huge cycles called Biogeochemical
Cycles.
Questions:
Notes:
1. The carbon that is taken in by an organism
during photosynthesis is then converted into
which type of substance?
1. Page 117 Figure 1.1.
2. Which of these is NOT a way in which
nitrogen may enter the soil?
2. Page 126. - Nitrogen enters the soil by:
3. Which of the following may form when carbon
from decayed organic matter is buried in the
right geological conditions?
3. Page 125. __________ __________ are made up of carbon
compounds from the bodies of organisms that died millions of
years ago.
4. In the global carbon cycle, carbon appears
primarily in coal, oil, and natural gas deposits
when found in
4. Page 125. - These molecules can form deposits of coal, oil,
and natural gas underground. The deposits are known as
_________ ________ .
5. During the carbon cycle, carbon in ocean
reservoirs appears primarily as
5. Page 124. - Some carbons enter a long-term cycle. For
example, carbon may be converted into ___________, which
make up the hard parts of bones and shells.
6. The relative residence time of carbon between
coal deposits and the atmosphere is relatively
6. Long because the geological processes that form and
oxidize coal are relatively slow.
7. The relative residence time of carbon as it
cycles between biomass and atmosphere
reservoirs is relatively
7. Short because the processes of photosynthesis and
respiration are relatively fast.
8. If the relative residence time of carbon in a
reservoir is long, then the processes that drive
carbon movement from one reservoir to another
in the carbon cycle are MOST likely
8. relatively slow.
9. Human activities, like mining and burning
fuel, causes the relative residence time of carbon
in coal, oil, and fossil fuel to be
9. shorter than its relative residence time would be under
natural conditions.
10. An example of Earth's external sources of
energy driving the movement of carbon among
reservoirs is
10. Page 117 Figure 1.1 - During ___________, plants use
light energy from the _____ to make __________
6CO2 + 6H2O ------> _____________ + 6O2
 _________ __________ _________ can fix atmospheric
nitrogen into a useful form called ammonia.
 Nitrogen-fixing bacteria live in nodules on the ______ of
_______ called legumes.
 Decomposers are essential to the nitrogen cycle because
they break down wastes, such as urine, dung leaves, and
__________ _________ and _________ and return the
nitrogen to the soil.
11. In various physical and chemical forms,
carbon cycles through different reservoirs on
Earth. In which reservoir does carbon primarily
appear as carbon dioxide gas?
11. Page 125 Figure 2.2 Carbon Emissions This truck releases
carbon into the _____________ when it burns fuel to operate.
12. In the nitrogen cycle, nitrogen moves through
different processes in various reservoirs on
Earth. During nitrogen fixation, bacteria
12. Page 126 - Nitrogen-fixing bacteria, can fix atmospheric
nitrogen into a useful form called _________ .
13. In plants and animals, carbon cycles through
molecular processes that store and release energy
in various molecular forms. In these plant and
animal molecular processes, carbon is found in
14. Which of the following is the primary
external source of energy behind the water cycle?
15. The oceans and marine organisms play a role
in the carbon cycle. When marine organisms die,
they settle to the floor to become limestone. If the
limestone is exposed at the surface where
chemical weathering takes
place __________ is produced.
16. Human activities have an effect on the
concentration of all of the following atmospheric
gases EXCEPT __________.
17. Increased global temperatures have been
attributed to increased level of carbon dioxide in
the atmosphere. All of the following lead to an
increased amount of carbon dioxide entering the
atmosphere except
18. Animals get their daily nitrogen requirements
from __________.
19. Conversion of nitrate ions to gaseous nitrogen
by bacteria is __________.
20. The uptake of nitrate ions by plants is
__________.
13. Page 124 - As shown in Figure 2.1, carbon enters a shortterm cycle in an ecosystem when producers, such as plants,
convert ________ _________ in the atmosphere into
_______________ during photosynthesis.
14. Page 73. The continuous movement of water into the air,
onto land, and then back to water sources is known as the
______ ______. Evaporation is the process by which liquid
water is heated by the _____ and then rises into the atmosphere
as water vapor.
15. Page 124 - Limestone is one of the largest _______ sinks,
or __________ reservoirs on Earth.
16. Page 125 - Greenhouse gases, including _______
________ and other gases, absorb and re-radiate infrared
energy, warming Earth.
17. Page 125 - Each year, about 8.4 billion metric tons of
_______ _________ are released into the atmosphere by the
burning, or combustion of ________ _______ and the natural
burning of _______ in forest fires. Volcanic activity also leads
to an increase of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
18. Page 126 – Animals get nitrogen by eating _______ or
other _________, both of which are sources of usable nitrogen.
19. Your Notebook, Nitrogen Cycle Description: Nitrogen
returns to atmosphere by: _________________ bacteria.
20. Assimilation.
Summary: The cycling of materials is accomplished in huge cycles called Biogeochemical Cycles..