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The Nitrogen Cycle

The Nitrogen Cycle. Chapter 2.3. What accounts for the differences?. What is fertilizer?. One of the main ingredients is Nitrogen! After carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, nitrogen is the most common element found in food chains. It cycles too!. Plants.

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The Nitrogen Cycle

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  1. The Nitrogen Cycle Chapter 2.3

  2. What accounts for the differences?

  3. What is fertilizer? • One of the main ingredients is Nitrogen! • After carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, nitrogen is the most common element found in food chains. • It cycles too!

  4. Plants • Plants use nitrogen (N), potassium (K) and phosphorous (P) to help them grow. These are common elements in fertilizers. • The Earth’s atmosphere is 80% nitrogen gas, but most organisms can’t use the nitrogen directly

  5. Human Impact on the Nitrogen Cycle • Most plants can live very well in low nitrogen environments. • Artificial fertilizers have altered the process. • The burning of fossil fuels in our cars and by factories also emits nitrogen back into the environment. • There is now an additional 140 TONNES of nitrogen in the Earth!

  6. Effects on Soil • There are limits to how much plant growth can be increased by adding more nitrates. • More doesn’t always lead to increased production. • “Nitrogen Saturation” • Damages soil, and tree roots, stunts tree growth, and causes needles on spruce trees and other conifers to turn yellow and fall off. • Increase in soil acidity.

  7. Effects on the Atmosphere • Acid precipitation • Kills fish, birds, amphibians, other organisms. • Loss of sugar maple trees in Ontario and Quebec • Lake pollution • Only solution is to add limestone powder to lakes to neutralize

  8. Effects on fresh-water ecosystems • 1970’s huge increase in algae and weeds. • Increased nitrates from fertilizer caused the spike. • Blocks sunlight from entering ecosystems in ponds. Plants can’t perform photosynthesis.

  9. Effects on Marine Ecosystems • Development of Algal blooms. • Robs the ecosystem of oxygen. • Loss in fish and shellfish.

  10. Complete Questions • Page 65 questions 1 to 6  • Read 2.4 and complete questions 1 to 4 page 68. • http://soil.gsfc.nasa.gov/NFTG/nitrocyc.htm

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