Earths Cycles and Resources

22 cards·by CaitieHarmon

In the ________, liquid water is changed to water vapor by the process of __________. Water vapor forms into clouds by the process of ____.

Water cycle, evaporation, condensation

Water that falls as ______ seeps through the soil to become ________.

precipitation, groundwater

Carbon dioxide, oxygen, nitrogen, and water are called _____ because they are cycled through Earth's ecosystems.

reusable resources

Plants take water from the soil and lose water vapor to the air through __________.

Transpiration

The _____ is made up of the paths taken by carbon dioxide and oxygen through Earth's ecosystems.

carbon cycle

In the _________, nitrogen gas is changed into a form that plants can use.

nitrogen cycle

Resources that can be replaced within a human lifespan are ____. Those that cannot are ______.

renewable resources, nonrenewable resources

Oxygen is need by plants and animals for ______.

cellular respiration

Soil is a form of a ____________ resource.

Nonrenewable

Water is an example of a ________________ resource.

reusable

Trees are an example of a ________ resource.

renewable

Why are trees considered renewable resources but an old growth forest is consider nonrenewable?

A tree can be replaced within a life span; however, a forest with very old trees would take more than one lifespan to replace.

What is the difference in a reusable and a renewable resource?

A reusable resource is the same resource being used over and over. Renewable resources are replaced with the same type of resource.

What is the common cause of nearly every ecological problem?

Human activity

What are some examples of how people have changed the environment.

mining, farming, cutting forests, using up resources, causing pollution

What are three good ways to conserve resources?

Reduce, reuse, recycle

In what form does most nitrogen in exist>

as a gas

How is nitrogen changed into a compound?

Bacteria in the soil & lightning

How do animals get the nitrogen they need to build proteins?

They eat plants or they eat animals that have eaten plants.

What role does photosynthesis play in the carbon cycle?

Green plants take in carbon dioxide and water to produce their own food. They give off oxygen because of photosynthesis.

Why are phytoplankton important?

They produce a great deal of the oxygen we use, and use very little of what they create.

What drives the water cycle?

the sun