NITROGEN CYCLE
The nitrogen cycle also happens in lakes and oceans.
The air is mostly nitrogen (78%). It's a good thing that nitrogen is not a greenhouse gas.

Plants get their nitrogen from the ground, not from the air.
Nitrogen is a part of protein, which all animals need for good health.
Nitrogen is passed along in food chains.
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The nitrogen cycle is quite moving. It moves and changes like morphing pictures on a screensaver. What starts the moves and changes? Bacteria! Bacteria do what bacteria do to make the morph changes happen in the nitrogen cycle. So, what are the changes that nitrogen goes through?
  • Soil bacteria change soil nitrogen into ammonia.
  • Other bacteria change the ammonia into nitrite and next into nitrate.
  • Nitrate is a form of nitrogen that can be taken in by plants.
  • If nitrate isn't used then bacteria will go through the process to change it back into nitrogen.
Name 2 things that would happen if ...
nitrogen didn't move back and forth from the air to soil.

1.

2.

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THE NITROGEN CYCLE FOLLOWS NATURE'S RULES
Nature's Natives™ is a simplified representation of how nature works.
ENVIRONMENTAL BASICS
WE GET TO...
TAKE A BREATH
EAT GOOD FOOD &
DRINK SOME WATER!
Efficiency
Nature moves atoms and molecules around efficiently. Nitrogen ( in the form of nitrate) hitches a ride with water to get into plants.


Conservation
Nature supplies the different bacteria to make the changes to nitrogen so plants can get their fill.


Connections
Nitrogen is in the air, in the ground, in plants and in us. Nitrogen is part of DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid). DNA is the key to what makes us short or tall, black hair or blonde and brown eyes or blue.
NITROGEN CYCLE AND WATER
NITROGEN CYCLE AND CLIMATE
NITROGEN CYCLE AND NUTRITION
VOCABULARY

Biogeochemical- When molecules and elements move from nonliving parts of earth into living plants and animals and then back again into nonliving parts.
Bacteria- Single celled microorganisms that do not have a nucleus. Some bacteria are helpful to living things and others are harmful. Some bacteria break apart dead organisms and in doing so release the nutrients that were inside.
Chemical change- A process where a substance has different properties than the original materials that formed to make it. Chemical changes happen on a molecular level (e.g., put flour, sugar, butter, eggs and chocolate chips together and bake to make cookies).
Decomposition- The breaking down of plants and animals when they die. This releases the stored nutrients.
Food chain- The transfer of food energy from the Sun to producers, and from producers (plants) to consumers. Consumers can continue this chain by eating other consumers (e.g., a student eating a hamburger).
Food web- The transfer of energy through food chains in an ecosystem.
Mineral- A solid natural inorganic material.
Mixtures- A combination of different things that do not have a chemical reaction. The parts of the mixture have a random distribution. Sand in water is a mixture.
Nitrogen fixing- When nitrogen is chemically changed into nitrate through either lightning or nitrogen fixing bacteria.
Nucleus- A part in a cell that contains genetic information.
Nutrients- A source of nourishment from food.
Physical change- A process where an object that is changed keeps its properties. Making a baseball bat out of wood or melting an ice cube are examples of physical changes.
Solutions- Liquid mixtures that have a solid (e.g., salt or sugar) dissolved in liquid (water). The minor component (solute) is evenly distributed in the liquid, the larger part (solvent).