SCIENCE 8

Cycling of
Materials in the
Ecosystem
 In the ecosystem, essential elements
or substances of living matter are
circulated. These elements flow in
different forms from non-living (abiotic)
to a living (biotic) component of the
environment and back. For the biotic
components of the ecosystem to
survive, all the important elements must
be recycled continuously.
 Many elements including carbon, oxygen,
and nitrogen cycle through ecosystems
between biotic (e.g. plants and animals) and
abiotic (e.g. soil, water, and air) components.
These are used in essential processes,
such as metabolism, the formation of amino
acids, respiration and building of tissues.
The Ecosystem depends on the recycling
of these elements, such as water cycle, oxygen-
carbon dioxide cycle and nitrogen cycle, to
sustain life.
WATER
CYCLE
Water Cycle

Most part of the Earth is covered with water. It

supports life, drains harmful substances and
arbitrates day to day activities. The continuous
movement of water through the atmosphere,
land, and bodies of water is called Water Cycle,
which is also called the hydrological cycle.
 The water cycle is composed of different
processes namely: evaporation, condensation,
precipitation, transpiration, surface runoff and
infiltration. Solar energy drives the water cycle
through evaporation and transpiration, moving
water from the earth’s surface, and even plant
parts, to the atmosphere.
Evaporation

It takes place in oceans, lakes,

streams, icebergs and even in soil
and rocks. It is the physical change of
water from liquid phase into gaseous
phase known as water vapor that
rises into the atmosphere. This
process is driven by the warmth and
energy from the sun.
Transpiration

Water moves into the different parts of the plants and

evaporates through the process called transpiration. The
water absorbed by the roots is pulled towards the leaves
for photosynthesis. The excess water escape through the
stomata (tiny openings of the leaves) into the environment
as water vapor. This pulling mechanism in plants is driven
by the energy from the sun.
Condensation

Water vapor rises into the atmosphere where it

condenses to form clouds. The cooler
temperature in the troposphere causes the water
vapor to lose its heat and turn back to liquid
water, which is known as condensate, in the
process called condensation. In much colder
temperatures, the condensate turns into ice.
 Water vapor condenses with the help of some
particles such as dust, smoke, sea salts and other
matter that assist in cloud formation. The tiny
particles of water vapor condense into liquid on the
surfaces of dust particles in the air. A cloud forms as
more water vapor condenses into water droplets.
Clouds form massive condensate in the sky. This
happens when smaller water droplets combine to
make bigger ones due to wind or temperature
change.
Precipitation

Precipitation is water or
liquid that forms in the
atmosphere that falls back to
earth as precipitates
because of gravity, either in
a rain, snow, hail, fog or
sleet. In the Philippines,
most precipitation occurs as
rain.
Infiltration

Some of the water that precipitates seep through the

pores of the soil and forms the groundwater in the
aquifers. The flow of water from the surface into the soil is
called infiltration. Aquifers are underground layers of
rocks that hold groundwater. When water seeps down, it
will increase the level of groundwater table. Groundwater
can be accessed by drilling or digging through the ground
into an aquifer as in the case of artesian wells.
Surface Runoff

Surface runoff is the manner by which water

moves across the ground or land. It occurs when
water can no longer infiltrate the ground because
of water impermeable rocks or when the ground
is already saturated with water. Water flows
through the surfaces and become part of a lake,
river or ocean. Most of the Earth’s water is stored
in the ocean.
 OXYGEN-
CARBON
DIOXIDE CYCLE
 Plants produce oxygen through the process
called photosynthesis to manufacture their
own food. In this process, plants use the
energy of the sun to combine water and
carbon dioxide to sugar molecules that give
them the energy to live and grow. Oxygen is
given off by plants through the stomata where
carbon dioxide enters.
 All animals need oxygen to survive. They take in
oxygen and give off carbon dioxide through the process
called respiration. Animals get energy from the food they
eat.
During respiration, cells use oxygen to break down
sugar to obtain energy. Animals use this energy to grow,
reproduce, and to perform other functions.
They give off carbon dioxide into the atmosphere
which in turn is used by the plants during
photosynthesis.
 The exchange of oxygen and carbon dioxide through
photosynthesis and respiration helps cycle these gases.
Human activities such as deforestation and burning of fossils
contribute to carbon dioxide emissions in the atmosphere
resulting to global warming.

Global warming is an increase in the earth’s air

temperature. Trees play significant role in mitigating global
warming by absorbing carbon dioxide, that is why planting of
trees and other plants are necessary to reduce carbon dioxide
in the atmosphere.
NITROGEN
CYCLE
 Many processes in the ecosystem,
such as plant and animal growth, are
limited by the available supply of
nitrogen. The earth’s atmosphere
contains nearly 78% of nitrogen gas.
However, for it to be available to
organisms, it must be changed first
into usable forms.
 One of the many importance of
nitrogen is for plant growth.
Through a series of nitrogen-
transformations, nitrogen is made
available to plants. Nitrates (N03),
Nitrites (NO2), and Ammonium
(NH4) are forms of nitrogen that
results of the nitrogen cycle.
NITROGEN FIXATION
is the process in which nitrogen gas is converted into
nitrates or ammonia. Lightning fixation is one type of
nitrogen fixation wherein nitric oxide (NO) is formed in
the air from nitrogen gas (N2) and oxygen (02) during
thunderstorms by lightning. Nitric oxide (NO) oxidizes
further to nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and later reacts with
water forming nitric acids. Acids fall to the ground during
rain and form nitrates (NO3) and nitrites (NO2 - ) in the
soil.
NITROGEN ASSIMILATION
is the process by which nitrates and ammonia formed
from nitrogen fixation are combined into the specific
tissue compounds of algae and higher plants. Plants
absorb nitrates from the soil through the roots and
integrate them into plant protein and nucleic acids. The
nitrates become one of the many components of the
nutrient-rich water absorbed by the plants which will be
utilized by it for growth and development.
AMMONIFICATION
is the process of making ammonia or ammonium ions
(NH4+) by living things. Ammonium ions are produced as
a waste material of animals and some bacteria and
during the decomposition of organic nitrogenous
materials by bacteria.
The majority of ammonium ions are rapidly used up in
soil and water by microorganisms and plants. At different
points in the food web, ammonium ions are released
back to the environment.
Nitrification is a process by which soil ammonia are
converted to nitrites then to nitrates, compounds usable by
plants. This process is mediated by two distinct groups of
microorganisms that live particularly in areas where ammonia
is present in large amounts, such as areas of ammonification
and in sewage. The ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (nitrosifyers)
mediate the first step by oxidizing ammonia into nitrites. The
second group, the nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (or nitrifying
bacteria) such as Rhizobium in the roots of legumes, catalyze
the second step, by oxidizing nitrites into nitrates, to complete
the nitrification process.
Denitrification

is the process wherein nitrate is converted into

nitrogen gas (N2) or other gaseous nitrogen
compounds such as N2O and NO by different
bacteria in soils during anaerobic respiration.
Denitrification reduces nitrate to nitrogen gas, thus,
replenishing the atmospheric nitrogen that was once
used, returning it to the atmosphere, the reservoir.