CYCLES OF MATTER:* CARBON AND OXYGEN CYCLE

CYCLES OF CHANGE: ECOLOGICAL SUCCESSION

OXYGEN CYCLE

Required for Life

All living things use oxygen or depend on organisms that use oxygen in some way.

All Animals and Other Consumers Use Oxygen We use oxygen to break down simple

sugar and release energy.

This can be done through respiration or fermentation.

Animals mainly use respiration.

Respiration

The process that breaks apart simple food molecules to release energy.

It occurs inside cells.

What YOU do with the oxygen you take in.

Simple Sugar — Glucose

The molecule most living things use for energy — including us!

We break down food into smaller molecules during digestion. One of the small molecules is glucose.

Glucose leaves your intestines, goes into your blood and is taken to every cell in your body.

Respiration in Cells

In your cells, oxygen is used to split glucose apart — releasing energy, water and carbon dioxide.

Photosynthesis

Plants take in carbon dioxide and water and use them to make food. Their food is simple sugar — glucose.

Photosynthesis (continued)

Plants pull the carbon off CO2 and use the carbon in glucose. (They do not need the oxygen for this. They get that from water, H2O.)

Plants release the oxygen (O2) back into the atmosphere.

Other organisms use the free oxygen for respiration.

How are photosynthesis and cellular respiration similar?

Photosynthesis uses carbon dioxide and produces oxygen.

Cellular respiration uses oxygen and produces carbon dioxide.

Basic idea

Rabbit eats food, breaks it down and releases CO2.

Plant uses CO2 to make food.

Rabbit gives off CO2, which is taken in by the plant.

Plant gives off O2, which is taken in by the rabbit.

Everywhere

This happens on land and in the water.

Algae and aquatic plants produce food underwater through photosynthesis.

They use CO2 dissolved in the water.

Other aquatic organisms use the dissolved oxygen these plants release into the water.

Respiration

Photosynthesis

Kind of a C-on/C-off Cycle

Plants take the carbon off the CO2, freeing the oxygen so it can be used for respiration.

During respiration, organisms attach a carbon to the O2 and release CO2 so it can be used for photosynthesis.

One big cycle — all living things depend on each other for it to work!

Human Impact

We keep destroying natural areas, especially forested areas with many plants and replacing them with buildings, parking lots, lawns, etc.

Fewer plants mean less oxygen and more carbon dioxide.

This disturbs the balance of the natural cycle.

More Human Impact

Every time something burns (combustion), more carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere.

We add more and more CO2 and destroy more and more of the plants that clean the air for us.

What We Need to Do

Stop destroying and promote regrowth of natural areas — especially forests.

Burn less (fossil fuels, forest fires, etc.)

CARBON CYCLE

What Is Carbon?

An element

The basis of life of earth

Found in rocks, oceans, atmosphere

Carbon Cycle

The same carbon atoms are used repeatedly on earth. They cycle between the earth and the atmosphere.

Plants Use Carbon Dioxide

Plants pull carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and use it to make food –— photosynthesis.

The carbon becomes part of the plant (stored food).

Animals Eat Plants

When organisms eat plants, they take in the carbon and some of it becomes part of their own bodies.

Plants and Animal Die

When plants and animals die, most of their bodies are decomposed and carbon atoms are returned to the atmosphere.

Some are not decomposed fully and end up in deposits underground (oil, coal, etc.).

Carbon Slowly Returns to Atmosphere

Carbon in rocks and underground deposits is released very slowly into the atmosphere.

This process takes many years.

Cycle – Repeats Over and Over and Over and Over …

Carbon Cycle DiagramCarbon in Atmosphere

Plants use carbon to make food

Animals eat plants and

take in carbon

Plants and animals die

Decomposers break down dead things, releasing

carbon to atmosphere and

soil

Bodies not decomposed —

after many years, become part of oil or coal deposits

Fossil fuels are burned; carbon is returned to atmosphere

Carbon slowly released from

these substances returns to

atmosphere

Carbon in Oceans Additional carbon is stored in the ocean.

Many animals pull carbon from water to use in shells, etc.

Animals die and carbon substances are deposited at the bottom of the ocean.

Oceans contain earth’s largest store of carbon.

The Carbon Cycle

Human Impact

Fossil fuels release carbon stores very slowly Burning anything releases more carbon into

atmosphere — especially fossil fuels Increased carbon dioxide in atmosphere

increases global warming Fewer plants mean less CO2 removed from

atmosphere

What We Need to Do

Burn less, especially fossil fuels

Promote plant life, especially trees

ECOLOGICAL SUCCESSION

Definition:

Natural, gradual changes in the types of species that live in an area; can be primary or secondary

The gradual replacement of one plant community by another through natural processes over time

Primary Succession

Begins in a place without any soil Sides of volcanoesLandslidesFlooding

Starts with the arrival of living things such as lichens that do not need soil to survive

Called PIONEER SPECIES

http://botit.botany.wisc.edu

http://www.saguaro-juniper.com/

Primary Succession Soil starts to form as lichens and the

forces of weather and erosion help break down rocks into smaller pieces

When lichens die, they decompose, adding small amounts of organic matter to the rock to make soil

http://www.life.uiuc.edu

Primary Succession

Simple plants like mosses and ferns can grow in the new soil

http://uisstc.georgetown.edu

http://www.uncw.edu

Primary Succession The simple plants die, adding more

organic material The soil layer thickens, and grasses,

wildflowers, and other plants begin to take over

http://www.cwrl.utexas.edu

Primary Succession These plants die, and they add more

nutrients to the soil Shrubs and trees can survive now

http://www.rowan.edu

Primary Succession Insects, small birds, and mammals have

begun to move in What was once bare rock now supports a

variety of life

http://p2-raw.greenpeace.org

Secondary Succession

Begins in a place that already has soil and was once the home of living organisms

Occurs faster and has different pioneer species than primary succession

Example: after forest fires

http://www.geo.arizona.edu

http://www.ux1.eiu.edu

http://www.agen.ufl.edu

Climax Community

A stable group of plants and animals that is the end result of the succession process

Does not always mean big treesGrasses in prairiesCacti in deserts

REFERENCES:

www.google.com

www.yahoo.com

MEMBERS:

Jasper E. Garais

Vincent Jed V. Gnilo

Bren Dale M. Miranda