Cycles in Ecosystems

Glossary
TERM DEFINITION

hydrosphere

atmosphere

Weather describes the atmospheric conditions over a short period of time at one
weather location (e.g. rain, snow, thunderstorms). Climate describes the weather patterns in a
particular location over a long period of time.
A greenhouse gas is a compound that helps keep Earth warm by trapping heat from the
Sun. Greenhouse gases, which include carbon dioxide, water vapor, and methane,
greenhouse gas
allow sunlight to freely pass through the atmosphere, but then absorb some of that
energy as it is radiated back from the Earth, making the atmosphere and Earth warmer.
the process by which plants and select other organisms transform radiant energy from
photosynthesis
the Sun into usable chemical energy

cellular respiration a metabolic process within cells that converts nutrients into ATP

ATP adenosine triphosphate, an energy biomolecule found in cells

geosphere

biosphere

water cycle

nitrogen cycle

carbon cycle

Fossil fuels are natural, organic fuels that form over millions of years from dead,
fossil fuels
decayed, and buried plants and animals. e.g. coal, petroleum, and natural gas
a change in global or regional climate patterns, most commonly referring to the current
climate change rise in atmospheric carbon dioxide levels due to fossil fuel use and other human
activities

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Objective
In this lesson, you will _______________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________________________.

The Four Main Spheres

All life on Earth is connected, but life is also connected to the ________________ parts of the environment.
The four spheres of Earth interact to perform all of Earth’s ____________________. Any change to one sphere
will likely ____________ the other spheres.

The Hydrosphere
The hydrosphere includes all __________ that’s present on and near the surface of Earth. Of all the
water on Earth, about 97% is ________ __________ found in the ____________.
Only 3% is ____________________ that can humans can use. More than ______-____________ of the
freshwater available exists in solid form as ____________ ______, including ____________________.
Permafrost is ________ or ________ that is usually bound by ______ and remains
____________________ ____________ for at least two years.

The Atmosphere
The atmosphere is made up of a ____________ of
__________ which surround Earth. Based on
____________________, the atmosphere is divided into ________
layers. The ____________________ lies just above Earth’s surface
and is where most of Earth’s ____________ occurs.

Atmospheric Gases
▪ Nitrogen (N2) is the ________ ________________ gas, making
up about ______% of the Earth’s atmosphere. It is a major
component of all ________________ and of ____________
________________ (DNA).
▪ Argon is the most abundant of the __________ gases, which
together make up about 1% of the atmosphere.

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 ▪ Carbon dioxide (CO2) is another important __________ ______.
It is also a ____________________ gas, which helps keep the Earth warm and habitable. Plants require
carbon dioxide for ____________________________.
▪ Water vapor is also both a __________ gas and a ____________________ gas.
▪ Oxygen (O2) occupies ______% of the air, making it the second most abundant gas in the atmosphere.
Most eukaryotes and certain prokaryotes are ____________, which means they need ____________ for
cellular respiration. ________________ aerobes need oxygen for survival and growth.
On the other hand, some organisms die in the presence of oxygen. These are called ________________
________________. Organisms that can perform both aerobic and anaerobic respiration are called
____________________ anaerobes.

The Geosphere
The geosphere consists of __________, ________, and natural landforms such as ________________
and ________________. The geosphere is crucial to Earth’s ________________ and is part of
Earth’s ____________________.

Many organisms have evolved special ____________________ that allow them to live in and around certain
landforms. For example, mountain goats have thick, woolly fur and large lungs that allow them to live at high
altitudes. Bacteria that live in a volcano have mutations that allow them to survive in the extreme heat.

The Biosphere
The biosphere encompasses all ____________ ________________ on Earth, as well as their body
processes, such as ____________________________, cellular respiration, and the
________________ of waste.

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The Water, Nitrogen, and Carbon Cycles
The Water Cycle
The water cycle describes the ____________________ ________________ of water on and around Earth. The
________ of water on Earth is almost always ________________.
The ________ drives the water cycle. The Sun’s ________ influences processes such as
____________________, ____________, and storms.
Some water ____________________ from plant leaves. This process is called __________________________.

Water __________ rises up in the air,

where __________ temperatures
________________ the vapor into tiny
water droplets, forming ___________.
As water vapor _________________, the
water droplets in the air grow heavier.
Water falls from clouds in the form of
________, __________, ________, or hail.

The Sun _________ up the water,

causing it to change into water
vapor, or __________________,
The Nitrogen Cycle
into the ____________________.
Melting snow and rain seep into
Water __________ ________
the soil. This process is called
mountains and hills to form or
________________________.
join streams and ___________.
The infiltrated water either joins
This process is known as
a ____________ or __________
____________ ____________.
deeper into the ________ to
form ______________________.

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The Nitrogen Cycle
Nitrogen is an important component of all ________________, ________, and chlorophyll. Living organisms
________ use the nitrogen in the air (N2) directly for body processes. Nitrogen is fixed into biologically useable
forms through the ________________ __________.

Atmospheric N2
Denitrification Nitrogen Fixation
Denitrifying bacteria break down Nitrogen-fixing _______________
________________ to form convert ____________________
nitrogen ______, which returns nitrogen (N2) into ____________.
to the ____________________.
Ammonification
Assimilation Bacteria called
Plants absorb nitrogen ____________________ break
Nitrification
____________________ from down __________ products and
Nitrifying bacteria convert
the ________, and animals return nitrogen to the ________.
____________ into oxygen-
______________ these plants.
containing compounds
( ________________ and
________________ ).

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The Carbon Cycle
Interaction Between Atmosphere Interaction Between Atmosphere
and Biosphere and Hydrosphere
Plants use ____________ ____________ ____________ and other bodies of
in the atmosphere for atmospheric CO2 water take in ____________
__________________________. ____________ from the
photosynthesi
Animals acquire ____________ ____________________.
s
by consuming ____________. combustion

They release ____________ respiration

___________ back into Interaction Between

the atmosphere during Geosphere and
__________________. Atmosphere
When people burn
Interaction Between Biosphere decay __________ _______,
decomposers
and Geosphere they release
When organisms die, they __________, ____________ ___________
fossil fuels
and ____________ enters the ________. back into the
After millions of years, their remains may ____________________.
turn into ____________ __________.

Burning ____________ __________ releases ____________ ____________ in the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide
is a ____________________ ______. Human activities that release carbon dioxide have ____________ and, as
a result, more ________ is being trapped in the ____________________, causing Earth to be ____________
than usual. This warming is a phenomenon of ____________ ____________.

Summary
How do human activities contribute to the water, nitrogen, and carbon cycles?

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