Mineral nutrient cycling

• Mineral Nutrient Cycling:

  1. Plants absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and nutrients from the soil
  2. These nutrients get passed along the food chain by feeding
  3. Dead animals and litter are broken down by decomposers and nutrients are returned to the soil and absorbed by plants
  4. Plants, animals and decomposers release carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere through respiration
• What do plants absorb from the soil?

  nutrients
• How are nutrients passed along the food chain?

  feeding
• What do decomposers breakdown?

  dead animals and litter
• What are dead animals and litter broken down by?

  Decomposers
• What is created when dead animals and litter are broken down?

  nutrients
• What happens to nutrients after decomposition?

  they are returned to the soil and absorbed by plants
• Plants, animals and decomposers release what?

  carbon dioxide
• How do plants, animals and decomposers release carbon dioxide?

  respiration