Nutrient+cycles

The important thing for you to realise when learning about these nutrient cycles is how important micro-organisms are. In the carbon cycle it's all about the decomposing microbes. With the nitrogen cycle, there are different microbes playing different roles; nitrogen fixing bacteria; decomposers; and denitrifying bacteria.

Feel free to add in any other resources etc that you find..

nitrogen fixing bacteria convert nitrogen from the atmosphere into ammonia. ammonia is used by plants to get proteins so they can grow. nitrifying bacteria turn ammonia into nitrates. nitrates are the main way plants get proteins, although they can get proteins through ammonia. poo (dung) and wee contain ammonia. that is why we put animal dung on plants. because the nitrifying bacteria turn the ammonia in the dung into nitrates, which the plants feed off of. this helps them grow faster. denitrifying bacteria convert nitrates back into nitrogen and release it into the atmosphere, so the nitrogen fixing bacteria can convert the nitrogen back into ammonia. and so the nitrogen cycle starts all over again.
 * __Nitrogen cycle__**
 * We get nitrogen in the atmosphere from humans breathing out, lightning and factories.

Information and a game can be found at : [|**http://www.naturenextdoor.org/PDF%20Files/thenitecycle.pdf**]

Another choice: http://www.windows.ucar.edu/tour/link=/earth/Life/nitrogen_cycle.html


 * __Carbon cycle__**

Interactive task to help you learn the processes involved in the carbon cycle: http://www.windows.ucar.edu/earth/climate/carbon_cycle.html