All living organisms need certain elementscompounds for life processes

1
Biogeochemical Cycles(Matter moving through the
environment)

• All living organisms need certain
  elements/compounds for life processes
• Ex your cells need C,H,O,N, P S in order to
  live and reproduce (make more cells)
• Cycles in nature keep these elements moving
  from organisms to organism (and sometimes into
  the atmosphere)

2
Biogeochemical Cycles(Matter moving through the
environment)

• The flow of a nutrient from the environment to
  living organisms and back to the environment
• Main reservoir for the nutrient is in the
  environment
• Transfer rates to and from reservoir are usually
  lower than the rates of exchange between and
  among organisms.
• Matter is recycled through an ecosystem not one
  way flow

3
Three Categories/4 Cycles

• Hydrologic cycle
• Water
• Atmospheric cycles
• Nitrogen and carbon
• Sedimentary cycles
• Phosphorus

4
CYCLES IN NATURE
5
Carbon Cycle

• Carbon moves through the atmosphere and food webs
  on its way to and from the ocean, sediments, and
  rocks
• Sediments and rocks are the main reservoir

6
(No Transcript)
7
Carbon Cycle
diffusion
Atmosphere
Bicarbonate, carbonate
Terrestrial Rocks
Land Food Webs
Marine food webs
Soil Water
Peat, Fossil Fuels
Marine Sediments
8
Carbon in Atmosphere

• Atmospheric carbon is mainly carbon dioxide
• Carbon dioxide is added to atmosphere
• Aerobic respiration, volcanic action, burning
  fossil fuels, decomposition of organic materials
• Removed by photosynthesis

9
Nitrogen Cycle

• Nitrogen is used in amino acids and nucleic acids
  (all living organism need nitrogen to make
  proteins)
• Main reservoir is nitrogen gas in the atmosphere
• Decomposers are vital to convert ammonia into
• usable nitrites nitrates for plants (nitrogen
  fixation)
• nitrogen gas (denitrification puts it back
  into the atmosphere)

10
(No Transcript)
11
(No Transcript)
12
Phosphorus Cycle

• Phosphorus is part of phospholipids and all
  nucleotides
• What are these?
• DNA and Cell Membrane components!!
• It is the most prevalent limiting factor in
  ecosystems
• Main reservoir is Earths crust no gaseous phase
  (it never enters the atmosphere like carbon and
  nitrogen)

13
Phosphorus Cycle
mining
FERTILIZER
excretion
GUANO
agriculture
weathering
uptake by autotrophs
uptake by autotrophs
weathering
LAND FOOD WEBS
DISSOLVED IN OCEAN WATER
MARINE FOOD WEBS
DISSOLVED IN SOILWATER, LAKES, RIVERS
death, decomposition
death, decomposition
leaching, runoff
sedimentation
setting out
uplifting over geolgic time
ROCKS
MARINE SEDIMENTS
14
(No Transcript)