Exploring Biogeochemical Cycles

Which of the following is NOT one of the key biogeochemical cycles?

• Nitrogen cycle

• Oxygen cycle

• Carbon cycle

• Water cycle

What process involves water vapor being released from plant leaves?

• Precipitation

• Condensation

• Transpiration

• Evaporation

How does water return to the oceans from the soil?

• Runoff

• Transpiration

• Evaporation

• Condensation

What is the main way carbon is captured by plants?

• Erosion

• Decomposition

• Photosynthesis

• Cellular respiration

Which human activity does NOT release CO2 into the atmosphere?

• Burning fossil fuels

• Mining

• Forest fires

• Photosynthesis

What is the role of bacteria in the nitrogen cycle?

• They fix atmospheric nitrogen into usable compounds

• They release nitrogen into the atmosphere

• They decompose dead organisms

• They convert nitrogen into fossil fuels

What is nitrogen fixation?

• The process of converting ammonia into nitrates

• The process of converting nitrogen gas into nitrites

• The process of converting nitrates into nitrogen gas

• The process of converting nitrogen gas into ammonia

Which plants have a symbiotic relationship with Rhizobium bacteria for nitrogen fixation?

• Grasses

• Legumes

• Conifers

• Ferns

What makes the phosphorus cycle unique compared to the carbon and nitrogen cycles?

• Phosphorus never exists as a gas

• Phosphorus is abundant in the atmosphere

• Phosphorus is not essential for living organisms

• Phosphorus exists as a gas

Where is most phosphorus stored in the environment?

• In living organisms

• In the ocean

• In rocks and sediment

• In the atmosphere