Cycles of Matter and Water in the Biosphere

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Questions and Answers

What process converts atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia?

Nitrogen Fixation (correct)

Nitrification

Denitrification

Ammonification

What is the primary role of bacteria in the nitrogen cycle?

To circulate oxygen in the atmosphere

To convert nitrogen into various usable forms (correct)

To degrade organic matter

To fix carbon from the atmosphere

Which process in the nitrogen cycle releases nitrogen back into the atmosphere?

Ammonification

Denitrification (correct)

Nitrogen Fixation

Nitrification

Which of the following compounds is formed during the process of nitrification?

Nitrates (NO3-) Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary human impact on the nitrogen cycle?

Fertilizer use leading to nutrient runoff Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following best describes ammonia in the nitrogen cycle?

A product of nitrogen fixation Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a key step that bacteria perform in the nitrogen cycle involving nitrates?

Converting nitrates into nitrogen gas Signup and view all the answers

What happens to excess nitrates in the soil due to human activity?

They leach into waterways, causing pollution Signup and view all the answers

What is the process by which nitrogen is converted from the atmosphere into a usable form for plants?

Nitrogen fixation Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following processes contributes to the removal of nitrogen from the soil, converting it back to atmospheric nitrogen?

Denitrification Signup and view all the answers

What process is primarily responsible for converting atmospheric nitrogen (N2) into a usable form for plants?

Biological Nitrogen Fixation Signup and view all the answers

What form of nitrogen is primarily produced from the breakdown of organic matter in the soil?

Ammonia Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary role of denitrifying bacteria in the nitrogen cycle?

Reducing nitrates back to nitrogen gas Signup and view all the answers

What role do bacteria play in the nitrogen cycle?

They facilitate the conversion of nitrogen into its different forms. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following forms of nitrogen is immediately usable by plants?

Nitrates (NO3-) Signup and view all the answers

How do human activities impact the nitrogen cycle?

They increase the input of nitrogen into the ecosystem through fertilizers. Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following nutrients can cause primary productivity to be limited if in short supply?

Phosphorus Signup and view all the answers

Which agents are primarily responsible for converting ammonia into nitrates in the nitrogen cycle?

Nitrifying bacteria Signup and view all the answers

In what form is nitrogen primarily absorbed by plants?

Nitrates Signup and view all the answers

How do human activities negatively impact the nitrogen cycle?

By increasing nitrogen runoff into water bodies Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of primary producers in the nitrogen cycle?

They absorb and utilize nitrogen from the soil Signup and view all the answers

What happens to excess nitrogen that runs off from agricultural land into waterways?

It contributes to the eutrophication of water bodies. Signup and view all the answers

What happens to phosphorus in excess amounts due to human activities?

It washes into the oceans as runoff Signup and view all the answers

What is NOT a process involved in the phosphorus cycle?

Biological nitrogen fixation Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Recycling in the Biosphere

Energy flows in one direction, from one trophic level to the next, eventually dissipating as heat.
Energy from sunlight constantly enters the biosphere, but matter is recycled.
Elements like oxygen, carbon, and hydrogen are repeatedly used in ecosystems and throughout the biosphere.
Matter's movement involves biological, geological, and chemical processes.
Human activity also impacts these cycles.

Cycles of Matter

Matter is continuously transformed in these cycles, it is never created or destroyed.
Biological processes encompass all organism activities, including eating, breathing, metabolism, and waste production.
Geological processes involve volcanic activity, rock formation and breakdown, and earth's interior movements.
Chemical and physical processes include cloud formation, precipitation, and the action of water and lightning.

The Water Cycle

Water constantly moves between oceans, atmosphere, and land, sometimes inside and sometimes outside of living organisms.
Evaporation transforms water into water vapor.
Transport of water vapor occurs through winds.
Condensation forms tiny droplets to create clouds.
Precipitation falls back to Earth as rain, snow, sleet, or hail.
Precipitation can become runoff or groundwater, eventually returning to the atmosphere via evaporation or transpiration.
The water cycle can take up to 4000 years to complete.

The Carbon Cycle

Carbon is found in the atmosphere as carbon dioxide, oceans, organisms, rocks, soil, and underground (as fossil fuels).
Biological processes like photosynthesis absorb carbon dioxide, and cellular respiration releases it.
Geological processes release CO2 through volcanic activity and the breakdown of rocks.
CO2 dissolves in water and returns to the atmosphere.
Burning of fossil fuels releases CO2 into the atmosphere.

The Nitrogen Cycle

Organisms need nitrogen to build amino acids and nucleic acids.
Nitrogen exists as a gas (N2) in the atmosphere.
Nitrogen fixation (by bacteria) converts nitrogen gas into ammonia.
Ammonia is converted to nitrates and nitrites by bacteria.
Producers use these compounds to create proteins and nucleic acids.
Decomposers release nitrogen-containing compounds, and the cycle continues.
Human activities increase nitrogen in the biosphere through fertilizer production and use.

The Phosphorus Cycle

Phosphorus is vital for DNA and RNA molecules.
Phosphorus primarily exists in rocks, soil minerals, and sediments.
Geological processes release phosphorus into the environment as it breaks down.
Producers absorb it, and organisms reuse it.
The cycle does not usually involve the atmosphere.

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Description

Explore the intricate relationships between energy flow and matter recycling in the biosphere. This quiz highlights the significance of biological, geological, and chemical processes in matter cycles, including the vital water cycle. Understand how human activity influences these essential ecological systems.