Name Masilang, Philip Anthony L.

Section ZGE 4301 – 2A

Biogeochemical Cycles Webquest

In this webquest, you will use the given websites to find the answers to questions about the
water, carbon/oxygen, nitrogen, and phosphorous cycles. Answer all questions in the spaces
provided.
Water Cycle Introduction
Precipitation, evaporation, and condensation are all terms that you recognize, but what do they mean?
They are all part of the water cycle, which is a complex process that not only gives us water to drink and
food to eat, but also helps our plants grow. Only about 3% of the Earth’s water is fresh, and 1% of that
water can be used for many human purposes. Why can’t we use the other 2% of the fresh water found
on the Earth? What about the other 97% of the water found in the world? To find these answers and to
discover more, come along for an interactive journey through the water cycle!

Website #1: http://www.epa.gov/ogwdw/kids/flash/flash_watercycle.html (choose auto, or

start with Rain)
1. Another name for rain, snow, sleet, and hail is precipitation. This occurs when there is so
much water in the air that it cannot hold onto it anymore.
2. Name some locations where water is stored on earth. Rivers, lakes, oceans
3. Transpirations is when water vapor comes from plants, trees, and land.
4. Which temperature causes water vapor to turn back into clouds? Cold, 15.56 C
5. What is the name for the process that forms clouds? condensation
Website #2:
http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/education/pd/oceans_weather_climate/media/watercycle.swf
6. How much of the Earth’s water exists in each of the following locations?

96.54 % 0.001 % 0.61 % 0.001 % 0.009 % 0.005 % 1.74 %

7. Click on “Person” and record two interesting facts about how individual people use
water.
a. Human average water usage is 400 liter / day.
b. Human water intake should be 2.5 liters / day.
8. Click on “Agriculture” and record two interesting facts about agricultural uses of water.
a. Agriculture consumes around 70% of all water.
b. Agriculture pesticides and fertilizers can pollute soil and runoff into neighboring
lakes or rivers.

Adapted from http://www.firelandsschools.org/Downloads/Biogeochemical_Cycles_Webquest1.pdf

Carbon Cycle Introduction
Carbon is an element that is found in all organisms, fossil fuels, soil, the ocean, and the atmosphere. We
take part in the carbon cycle by breathing CO 2 into the air; autotrophs participate by removing
atmospheric CO2 for use in building leaves, stems and other organs through the process of
photosynthesis. As we burn more and more fossil fuels such as oil and coal, we release large amounts of
carbon dioxide into the atmosphere more than can be removed by oceans and photosynthetic
organisms. Within the atmosphere, this extra CO 2 traps heat. As more CO2 accumulates, the Earth
becomes warmer through a process known as the greenhouse effect.
Website: https://www.windows2universe.org/earth/climate/carbon_cycle.html
Introduction:
1. How long has carbon been underground? Millions of years
2. Underground, carbon can be stored in fossil fuels, which humans incinerate/burn.
Carbon in the Atmosphere:
3. When carbon is in the atmosphere, it’s usually in the form of molecules of CO2 (carbon
dioxide), which is a greenhouse gas.
4. More carbon dioxide (CO2) in our atmosphere makes our planet warmer/hotter.
Go towards the plant:
5. Which process in plants removes carbon from the atmosphere? Photosynthesis
6. If carbon were to leave the plant, which process would allow for that to happen? Respiration
Go towards the soil:
7. What happened to the plant the carbon was part of? That plant will die.
8. Carbon is now part of detritus; what is detritus? Organic matter produced by the
decomposition of organisms
9. Where does carbon go to from the soil? The atmosphere
Go towards the atmosphere, and then continue towards the surface ocean:
10. List the 3 ways carbon can enter the ocean.
a. Marine life decomposition
b. Carbon dioxide from the atmosphere dissolves in the ocean's surface waters.
c. Photosynthesis in the sunlit surface waters by microscopic marine plants
(phytoplankton) converts carbon into organic matter.
11. Which absorbs more carbon, the land or the ocean? The ocean
Move towards marine life.
12. Phytoplankton absorb carbon through the process of photosynthesis.

Adapted from http://www.firelandsschools.org/Downloads/Biogeochemical_Cycles_Webquest1.pdf

Nitrogen Cycle Introduction
The nitrogen cycle is one of the most important nutrient cycles found in terrestrial ecosystems. Nitrogen
is used by living organisms to produce a number of complex organic molecules like amino acids,
proteins, and nucleic acids. The majority of nitrogen is found in the atmosphere, where it exists as a gas
(mainly N2). Other major reserves of nitrogen include organic matter in soil and the oceans. Despite its
large quantity in the atmosphere, nitrogen is often the most limiting nutrient for plant growth. This
problem occurs because most plants can only take up nitrogen in two solid forms: the ammonium ion
(NH4+) and the nitrate ion (NO3–). Specialized bacteria “fix” nitrogen, converting it to a form that can be
used by organisms. By fixing nitrogen, these bacteria are a critical link between atmospheric nitrogen
and life on Earth.
Website: http://vro.agriculture.vic.gov.au/dpi/vro/vrosite.nsf/pages/soilhealth_nitrogen-cycle
Opening Screen
1. Nitrogen is essential to life. Where in all living things (including humans) is nitrogen found?
Chlorophyll in plants, DNA and RNA

Begin the activity, and then hover over “Nitrogen in the Atmosphere.”
2. Nitrogen makes up about what percent of the atmosphere? Approximately 78%
3. Nitrogen exists in what form in the atmosphere? Nitrogen gas (N2)

Read through “Nitrogen Fixation” and “Ammonification.”

4. What is the role of nitrogen-fixing bacteria in the nitrogen cycle?
Nitrogen fixation occurs when bacteria convert N2 into ammonia, a type of nitrogen
that plants may use. Animals obtain useable nitrogen compounds when they consume
plants.

Read over both “Nitrifications.”

5. Ammonia can form nitrite ions, which can then be converted into nitrate ions. Both can be
taken in by plants.

Read over “Denitrification.”

6. Denitrifying bacteria can convert nitrates back into nitrogen gas , which goes into the
atmosphere.

Read “Ammonification.”
7. Ammonification is when decomposers do what? The organic matter is consumed by the
decomposers, and the nitrogen in the deceased organism is transformed to ammonium
ions.

Finally, read “Assimilation” and hover over the chipmunk.

8. What is the only way in which humans and other animals can obtain nitrogen?
We acquire nitrogen from plants or other animals that consume vegetation.

Adapted from http://www.firelandsschools.org/Downloads/Biogeochemical_Cycles_Webquest1.pdf

Phosphorus Cycle Introduction
Phosphorus is an important chemical for plants and animals. It is part of DNA, certain fats in cell
membranes, bones, teeth, and the shells of some animals. Phosphorus circulates through water, the
Earth's crust, and living organisms. It is not in the atmosphere and is most likely to enter food chains
following the slow weathering of rock deposits. Some of the released phosphates become dissolved in
soil water, which is then taken up by plant roots. Phosphorus is therefore the main limiting factor for
plant growth in most soils and aquatic ecosystems. Animals obtain phosphorus by eating plants and/or
herbivores. Dead organisms and animal wastes return phosphorus to the soil, to streams, and eventually
to ocean floors as rock deposits.
Website #1: http://www.geography4kids.com/files/cycles_phosphorus.html
Cycling Phosphorus
1. Where does phosphate start (before life forms use it)? Phosphate ions

Plants Need It
2. How do plants obtain phosphorus? Organic phosphorus molecules from the soil are
absorbed by terrestrial plants.
3. How do animals obtain phosphorus? Phosphorus may be obtained by animals through
consuming plants or drinking water.

Losing the Element

4. The phosphorus cycle is not a true cycle due to a lot of the phosphorus being lost to the bottom
of the ocean. Identify the different ways that phosphorus ends up at the bottom of the ocean.
Phosphates are sometimes leached and detected in runoff water, where they settle to
the bottom. In addition, phosphate is occasionally found in human feces, which is then
dumped into the ocean.

Elemental Concern
5. Identify two ways in which phosphorus naturally enters the soil. Weathering, Dissolution
6. Identify a way in which phosphorus is artificially put into the soil. Plants die, and phosphates
leach back into the soil.

Website #2: http://enviroliteracy.org/article.php/480.html

Paragraph 1:
7. How is phosphorus important to living things? It is required for the production of DNA, cell
membranes, and bone and teeth in humans. It is essential for food production since it is
one of three nutrients used in commercial fertilizer, namely nitrogen, potassium, and
phosphorus.

Paragraph 2:
8. The phosphorus cycle differs from the other cycles in that it does not have a atmospheric
reservoir.
9. The largest reservoir of phosphorus is sedimentary rock.

Paragraph 3:

Adapted from http://www.firelandsschools.org/Downloads/Biogeochemical_Cycles_Webquest1.pdf

 10. Describe the sequence of how phosphorus goes from the soil to a carnivore.
Phosphates are taken from the rocks and dispersed across the soils and water when it
rains. Plants absorb phosphate ions from the soil. When herbivores consume plants and
predators devour herbivores, phosphates travel from plants to animals.

Paragraph 5:
11. Using evidence from the article, explain why phosphorus can be considered a pollutant.
Increased phosphorus concentrations are quite often deemed a pollution whereas an
imbalance of phosphorus in water leads algae to develop faster than the environment
can support.

Adapted from http://www.firelandsschools.org/Downloads/Biogeochemical_Cycles_Webquest1.pdf