Name ______Date ______Block ______Interpreting Nutrient Cycles

Part 1: Carbon Cycle 1. There are four places where carbon is stored, what are they?

2. How do humans contribute to atmospheric

CO2?

3. How does an organism’s carbon get released to other organisms in the ecosystem?

4. How does CO2 get into the oceans?

5. How does CO2 get into the soils?

6. How do producers get their carbon? How do consumers get it?

Part 2: Nitrogen cycle 1. What form of nitrogen do producers use?

2. What is nitrogen fixing? What organisms are involved in nitrogen fixing?

3. What atmospheric process also fixes nitrogen?

4. How do producers get their nitrogen? How do consumers get theirs?

5. What are the four places that useable nitrogen is stored in an ecosystem?

6. How does the nitrogen an organism has get released to other organisms in the ecosystem?

7. The nitrogen is considered a limited nutrient in an ecosystem, because it is in low supply despite the atmosphere being made of 70% N2. Based on the diagrams, and what you have just learned about this complicated cycle, explain why it is limited. Part 3: Phosphorous Cycle 1. How do producers get their phosphorous? How do consumers get theirs?

2. Phosphorous is only useable by organisms when it is not in rock form. What geologic and biological processes make phosphorous available to terrestrial and aquatic producers?

4. What form of phosphorous do organisms use?

5. How does phosphorous used by an organism get released to other organisms?

6. Phosphorous is stored in three places, one of which is the lithosphere. How is its storage different than the first two nutrients’?

7. Phosphorous, like Nitrogen, is a limited nutrient in an ecosystem. Using the diagrams and what you just learned about phosphorous, why is its supply limited in ecosystem? Hint: think about the speed of the rock cycle and lack of atmospheric distribution. Part 4: Sulfur Cycle 1. How do producers get their sulfur? How do consumers get theirs?

2. What form of Sulfur do producers use? How do Sulfur oxides in the atmosphere get converted to this useable form?

3. Like the phosphorous cycle, the sulfur cycle is influenced by geologic processes. Which process influence this cycle? Are they the same as for the phosphorous cycle? Explain.

3. How does the sulfur an organism has get released back to the environment for other organisms to use?

4. Having too much sulfur in the atmosphere leads to an environmental issue. What is this issue?

5. Even though the sulfur cycle involves the rock cycle, it is not as slow as the phosphorous cycle. Why? Part 5: How Organisms Use these Nutrients

Directions: Use The Google to figure out how organisms use each of the nutrients you just studied. Identify specific structures or specific activities, at least 3 for each. Choose things you are familiar with.

Carbon:

Nitrogen:

Phosphorous:

Sulfur: