In any ecosystem, essential materials like water and carbon are constantly being reused. They are not created or destroyed, but cycled through the living and non-living parts of the environment. In this deck, you will learn about two of the most important cycles: the water cycle and the carbon cycle. We will also explore the vital role of decomposers in breaking down dead material and the conditions they need to do their job effectively.

Let's start with the water cycle. Water is essential for all life. The cycle begins when energy from the sun heats the surface of oceans, lakes, and rivers, causing the water to turn from a liquid into a gas called water vapour. This process is called evaporation. Plants also release water vapour from their leaves in a process called transpiration.

As the warm, moist air containing water vapour rises, it cools down. This causes the water vapour to turn back into tiny liquid water droplets, which form clouds. This process is called condensation. When these droplets become too heavy, they fall back to Earth as rain, snow, sleet, or hail. This is known as precipitation. The water then collects in rivers and oceans, and the cycle starts all over again.