- How does water in the atmosphere return to the ground?
- What biological process releases carbon back into the atmosphere?
- What are some examples of fossil fuels?
- Why is carbon dioxide referred to as a “greenhouse gas”?
- What must happen for plants to use nitrogen in the atmosphere?
- What is the significance of denitrifying bacteria?
Further Reading / Supplemental Links
- http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Library/CarbonCycle
- http://www.cosee-ne.net/resources/documents/OceanLiteracyWorkshopIReport.
pdf - http://www.estrellamountain.edu/faculty/farabee/biobk/BioBookcycles.html
- http://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/Library/CarbonCycle
- http://earthguide.ucsd.edu/earthguide/diagrams/watercycle/index.html
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki
Vocabulary
assimilation The uptake of nitrogen by plants.
aquifers Layers of porous rock that can hold water underground.
biogeochemical cycles The pathway of elements like carbon and nitrogen through the
non-living and living parts of the ecosystem.
denitrifying bacteria Bacteria that convert nitrates or nitrites back to nitrogen in the
gaseous form.
fossil fuels Fuelsmadefrompartiallydecomposedorganicmatterthathasbeencompressed
underground for millions of years; examples are: coal, natural gas, and oil.
global warming Global increase in the Earth’s temperature due to human activities that
release greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere.
groundwater Underground water reserves.
nitrogen fixation Process by which gaseous nitrogen is converted in chemical forms that
can be used by plants.