Carbon, water, and nitrogen cycle

Photosynthesis

Carbon moves into a plant from the atmosphere

Respiration

Carbon is released from plants and animals into the atmosphere

Decomposition

Living things breaking down and returning carbon to the soil

Combustion

When products of once living or living things are burned and carbon is released into the atmosphere

Lithification

Carbon moves into the rocks of earth’s crust from the atmosphere directly or as a result of a dead organism

Gaseous dissolution

The movement of carbon from the atmosphere into the ocean

Consumption

The movement of carbon from one living thing into another (because the first thing ate the second thing)

Evaporation

Liquid water to water vapor

Condensation

Water vapor to liquid water

Precipitation

Water falls from clouds

Trasport 

Clouds/water vapor move through the air

Transpiration

Water released from plants into the air

Runoff

Water flows over land into rivers, lakes, or oceans

Infiltration

Water soaks into the ground into siol/aquifiers

Fixation

Turns unusable nitrogen gas usable for plants

Assimilation/consumption

Plants take up the nitrates from soil, animals eat the plants, and nitrogen moves into the animal’s body

Decomposition

When plants or animals die, decomposers break them down and nitrogen is released back into the soil

Denitrification

Some bacteria turn soil nitrates back into nitrogen gas (N2)