Question

video: carbon and nitrogen cycles (8 min): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhqethrcqo4

1. what types of things can you add to a compost bin?
2. why do the ameba sisters love carbon?
3. what are some examples of carbon reservoirs? (where is it found)
4. fill in the blanks from the example they go over related to how carbon moves from reservoir to reservoir: carbon dioxide in atmosphere - photosynthesis - _ - cellular respiration - _ - converts to fossil fuels - burning sends carbon dioxide back into atmosphere
5. how can nitrogen be fixed?
6. how can nitrogen be problematic?

Explanation:

1. Organic materials like fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, tea bags, shredded paper, and yard - waste (leaves, grass clippings) can be added to a compost bin as they decompose to form compost.
2. The "ameba sisters" likely love carbon because it is a fundamental element for life. All living organisms are carbon - based, and carbon is involved in numerous biological processes.
3. Carbon reservoirs include the atmosphere (as carbon dioxide), oceans (dissolved carbon dioxide and carbonates), soil (organic matter), and fossil fuels (coal, oil, natural gas).
4. Carbon Dioxide in Atmosphere – Photosynthesis – Plant Biomass - Cellular Respiration - Dead Organisms and Waste Products - converts to fossil fuels – burning sends carbon dioxide back into atmosphere.
5. Nitrogen can be fixed through biological means (nitrogen - fixing bacteria in soil and in the root nodules of legumes), industrial processes (Haber - Bosch process to produce ammonia), and through atmospheric fixation (lightning converts nitrogen gas to nitrogen oxides).
6. Nitrogen can be problematic when there is an excess. For example, in water bodies, excessive nitrogen can cause eutrophication, leading to algal blooms, oxygen depletion, and harm to aquatic life. In the atmosphere, nitrogen oxides contribute to air pollution, acid rain, and the formation of smog.

Answer:

1. Fruit and vegetable scraps, coffee grounds, tea bags, shredded paper, yard - waste.
2. It is a fundamental element for life; all living organisms are carbon - based and it is involved in many biological processes.
3. Atmosphere, oceans, soil, fossil fuels.
4. Plant Biomass; Dead Organisms and Waste Products
5. Biological means (nitrogen - fixing bacteria), industrial processes (Haber - Bosch process), atmospheric fixation (lightning).
6. Excess nitrogen can cause eutrophication in water bodies and contribute to air pollution, acid rain, and smog formation in the atmosphere.