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26 Dec 2025

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2 pages

The Water and Carbon Cycles: Ecology and Their Connection

lily richards

@lily.richards

The carbon and water cycles are nature's recycling systems that... Show more

The Water Cycle

Ever wondered where rain actually comes from? The water cycle is basically nature's way of recycling water over and over again. It starts when energy from the sun heats up water in oceans, rivers, and lakes, causing it to evaporate and turn into invisible water vapour that rises into the sky.

Plants get in on the action too through transpiration - they release water vapour through their leaves, just like you breathe out moisture on a cold day. All this warm water vapour rises high into the atmosphere where it cools down and condenses to form clouds.

When clouds get heavy enough, gravity takes over and water falls back down as precipitation - that's your rain, snow, or hail. This water either soaks into the ground to help plants grow or flows back into rivers and seas, ready to start the whole process again.

Quick Tip: Remember the four main steps - evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and collection. That's all you need for your exams!

The Carbon Cycle

Think of the carbon cycle as nature's ultimate storage and delivery system. Carbon gets stored in loads of different places called carbon stores - in the air as carbon dioxide, locked inside plants and animals as biological molecules, buried in soil, and deep underground as fossil fuels.

Here's where it gets interesting: photosynthesis pulls carbon dioxide from the air and plants use it to make glucose and grow bigger. When animals munch on plants, that carbon gets passed along the food chain. Both plants and animals release carbon dioxide back into the air through respiration - it's like nature's breathing system.

When living things die, microorganisms break them down through decay, releasing more CO₂. Sometimes decay happens without oxygen (anaerobic conditions), and over millions of years, this creates fossil fuels. When humans burn these fossil fuels, we're basically releasing ancient stored carbon back into the atmosphere.

Remember This: Photosynthesis takes carbon IN, respiration puts carbon OUT. It's that simple!

Nutrient recycling through these cycles is absolutely crucial because it gives all organisms the materials they need to grow and reproduce. Without these cycles, life on Earth would grind to a halt.

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26 Dec 2025

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2 pages

The Water and Carbon Cycles: Ecology and Their Connection

lily richards

@lily.richards

The carbon and water cycles are nature's recycling systems that keep our planet running smoothly. Understanding these cycles helps you see how everything on Earth is connected - from the rain that waters your garden to the oxygen you breathe.

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The Water Cycle

Quick Tip: Remember the four main steps - evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and collection. That's all you need for your exams!

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The Carbon Cycle

Remember This: Photosynthesis takes carbon IN, respiration puts carbon OUT. It's that simple!