B4.1.6 - Nutrient Cycling Flashcards
What is nutrient cycling?
The process where materials are passed between biotic and abiotic factors of an ecosystem
What happens to the nutrients when an organism dies?
Decomposers release the trapped nutrients, most are released into the soil and some are released into the atmosphere
Describe the process of nutrient cycling.
Inorganic molecules or ions are absorbed into organic molecules in producers. These producers may feed and transfer nutrients into into organic molecules in consumers, or die. The producers / consumers will die and the nutrients will be organic molecules in decomposers, which decompose into inorganic molecules or ions
What material are often nutrient cycled?
Carbon, nitrogen and water
Why is carbon often nutrient cycled?
It is one of the most common elements in organisms, and it cycles between the atmosphere, fossil fuels and living organisms
How much of the atmosphere does nitrogen make up?
Up to 80%
What do organisms use nitrogen for?
Making DNA or proteins
Why is nitrogen nutrient cycled?
It exists in the soil as nitrates dissolved in water. The water is taken up by roots and the nitrates are used to make proteins. Animals eat the plants and then die, so they decompose and released as ammonia into the soil.
Describe the relationship between some plants and nitrogen fixing bacteria.
A mutualistic relationship, where the bacteria live in the roots and combine nitrogen in the air with oxygen to form mintrates which are consumed by the plant
Why is water nutrient cycled?
The water cycle moves water and nutrients through the ground and atmosphere. It gives fresh water to people, animals and plants, and then released back into the atmosphere
What is percolation?
Water trickling through gaps in soil and rocks
What is transpiration?
The loss of water vapour from plants directly back into the atmosphere
What are the stages in the water cycle?
Evaporation, condensation, precipitation, transpiration, percolation
