Biogeochemcial+Cycles


 * Biogeochemical Cycles: Your new assignment **

Some of your presentations were good, some were unfocused and poorly prepared. Either way, most were not focused on the right things. I’m worried that you have not succeeded in preparing your classmates for the AP or IB exams or given them the information they should have at this point.

Create a new handout to share with your class. BE SURE you address the following questions. Email me your new student sheet by 5 pm on Wednesday. EVERY STUDENT NEEDS TO DO A HANDOUT. Not just one per group. One EACH! Follow the instructions below:

Nitrogen:  -  Why is it essential to organisms?  -  What does it mean to “fix” nitrogen? What are the critical players in fixing nitrogen?  -  What chemical compounds is nitrogen found in? Which of these forms can be used by plants?  -  How do animals get their nitrogen?  -  What is the difference between nitrate and nitrite?  -  What nitrogen-containing compounds do humans create? What is their impact on the environment?  -  What happens when excess nitrates are added to an ecosystem?

Carbon:  -  What is the relationship between CO2 and the planet’s thermostat?  -  How are fossil fuels created?  -  What is the risk involved with warming oceans?  -  What has happened to the concentration of CO2 in the atmosphere in the past 200 years? Draw a graph.  -  What is the “missing carbon”? What ideas are there as to where the “missing carbon” is?

Phosphorous:  -  What is phosphorous used for in living organisms?  -  What compound is phosphorous part of that can be used by plants?  -  How do animals get phosphorous?  -  Why do humans mine phosphorous? What do they use it for? <span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; msoasciifontfamily: Calibri; msobidifontfamily: Calibri; msofareastfontfamily: Calibri; msohansifontfamily: Calibri; msolist: Ignore;"> -  Other than fertilizer, what is phosphorous used in?

Sulfur: <span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; msoasciifontfamily: Calibri; msobidifontfamily: Calibri; msofareastfontfamily: Calibri; msohansifontfamily: Calibri; msolist: Ignore;"> -  Where do H2S and SO2 come from? What is similar about these compounds? What is different? <span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; msoasciifontfamily: Calibri; msobidifontfamily: Calibri; msofareastfontfamily: Calibri; msohansifontfamily: Calibri; msolist: Ignore;"> -  What is sulfur used for in living organisms? <span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; msoasciifontfamily: Calibri; msobidifontfamily: Calibri; msofareastfontfamily: Calibri; msohansifontfamily: Calibri; msolist: Ignore;"> -  What is DMS? <span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; msoasciifontfamily: Calibri; msobidifontfamily: Calibri; msofareastfontfamily: Calibri; msohansifontfamily: Calibri; msolist: Ignore;"> -  Describe how sulfur becomes a component of acid rain. <span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; msoasciifontfamily: Calibri; msobidifontfamily: Calibri; msofareastfontfamily: Calibri; msohansifontfamily: Calibri; msolist: Ignore;"> -  What activities add more SO2 to the atmosphere?

Water: <span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; msoasciifontfamily: Calibri; msobidifontfamily: Calibri; msofareastfontfamily: Calibri; msohansifontfamily: Calibri; msolist: Ignore;"> -  What is an aquifer? <span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; msoasciifontfamily: Calibri; msobidifontfamily: Calibri; msofareastfontfamily: Calibri; msohansifontfamily: Calibri; msolist: Ignore;"> -  What processes in the hydrologic cycle help to purify water? <span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; msoasciifontfamily: Calibri; msobidifontfamily: Calibri; msofareastfontfamily: Calibri; msohansifontfamily: Calibri; msolist: Ignore;"> -  How much of the earth’s water supply is available to us as liquid freshwater? <span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; msoasciifontfamily: Calibri; msobidifontfamily: Calibri; msofareastfontfamily: Calibri; msohansifontfamily: Calibri; msolist: Ignore;"> -  What impact does clearing of vegetation have on the hydrologic cycle and on the environment? <span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; msoasciifontfamily: Calibri; msobidifontfamily: Calibri; msofareastfontfamily: Calibri; msohansifontfamily: Calibri; msolist: Ignore;"> -  How do the other nutrient cycles (nitrogen, sulfur, phosphorous) relate to the water cycle? <span style="mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; msoasciifontfamily: Calibri; msobidifontfamily: Calibri; msofareastfontfamily: Calibri; msohansifontfamily: Calibri; msolist: Ignore;"> -  Water vapor is a greenhouse gas. Describe the positive feedback cycle that would result in more water vapor in the atmosphere.