5 Biogeochemical Cycles

5 BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES
THE WATER CYCLE

“Hydrologic Cycle”. Three processes;
Evaporation
energy to molecules of a liquid that becomes a gas, molecules
further apart
Condensation
reverse process, molecules of the gas give up energy, get closer
together, and become liquid.
Precipitation
product of condensation that falls under gravity. This includes
drizzle, rain, sleet, snow, graupel and hail.
•
THE CARBON-OXYGEN CYCLE
Photosynthesis
process which green plants and some organism use sunlight to
synthesize foods from carbon dioxide and water.
CO2 + H2 O=sunlight chlorophyll=C6 H12 O6 + O2 + H2 O
Respiration
process in living organisms involving the product of energy,
typically with the intake of oxygen and the release of carbon
dioxide from the oxidation of complex organic substance.
C6 H12 + O6 CO2 + H2 O + Energy
Combustion
process of burning. When combustion occurs, CO2 is released
to the atmosphere. Natural combustion includes volcanic
eruptions, however most pollution problems occur because cars
and factories release CO2 by their burning fossil fuels
Decomposition
minor part of the Carbon/Oxygen Cycle.
organic matter (plants, animals) breaks down chemically
into all the simple elements and return back to the
environment
• THE SULFUR CYCLE
played a large role in the health of the ecosystem.
Sulfur has an atmospheric cycle.
Sulfur is release into the atmosphere when volcanoes erupt
Sulfur can be release naturally but human activities greatly
increase the emissions of sulfur into the atmosphere like
burning of fossils such as oils and coal.
• THE PHOSPHOROUS CYCLE
Phosphorus moves in a cycle through rocks, water, soil, and
sediments and organisms that begins during the weathering
and erosion. As water runs over rocks, it gradually wears
away the surface and carries off a number of minerals, one of
which is the phosphorus.
Unlike the compound of other matter cycles phosphorus
cannot be found in air in the gaseous state. This is because
phosphorus is usually liquid temperatures and pressures.
• THE NITROGEN CYCLE
Nitrogen is essential for living things to survive on Earth.
Animals and plants need nitrogen to build amino acids in
proteins, which are the building blocks of life. Unlike oxygen,
nitrogen cannot be absorbed directly from the air by animals
and plants.
There are four basic steps involve in nitrogen cycle namely;
Nitrogen Fixation, Nitrification, Ammonification, and
Denitrification.
Nitrogen Fixation = Nitrogen fixing, bacteria in the soil and
root nodules of legumes like peanut, peas, and beans convert
nitrogen gas (N2 ) into ammonium ions (NH4+). Small amount of
nitrogen gas are also converted by lightning into usable
nitrogen compounds. The ammonium ions are released to the
roots of the bacteria’s host and to soil. Some plants can use
ammonium ions directly to make organic compounds.
Nitrification
Some plants obtain nitrogen from nitrates, instead of
ammonium ions. Nitrifying bacteria in the soil convert
ammonium ions into nitrites (NO2) and then into nitrites
(NO3). Nitrates are absorbed by the roots of plants and are used
to produce proteins and other nitrogen compounds. These
nitrogen compounds become part of the consumer’s bodies
when they eat plants.
Ammonification
When organisms die, the nitrogen compounds in their remains
are broken down into ammonia by decomposers, such as fungi
and bacteria.
Denitrification
It is the conversion of nitrogen compounds, such as ammonia,
nitrite, or nitrate, into free nitrogen gas. This conversion is
done by denitrifying bacteria. The free nitrogen returns to the
atmosphere to be cycled again.
Community Defined
A community is the set of all populations that inhabit a certain
area.
An ecosystem is a higher level of organization the community
plus its physical environment. Ecosystems include both the
biological and physical components affecting the
community/ecosystem. We can study ecosystems from a
structural view of population distribution or from a functional
view of energy flow and other processes.
Community Structure
Ecologists find that within a community many populations are
not randomly distributed This recognition that there was a
pattern and process of spatial distribution of species was a
major accomplishment of ecology. Two of the most important
patterns are open community structure and the relative rarity
of species within a community.
Do species within a community have similar geographic range
and density peaks? If they do, the community is said to be a
closed community, a discrete unit with sharp boundaries
known as ecotones. An open community, however, has its
populations without ecotones and distributed more or less
randomly.
There are two basic categories of communities: terrestrial
(land) and aquatic (water). These two basic types of community
contain eight smaller units known as biomes. A biome is a
large-scale category containing many communities of a similar
nature, whose distribution is largely controlled by climate
Terrestrial Biomes
Tundra and Desert
The tundra and desert biomes occupy the most extreme
environments, with little of no moisture and extremes of
temperature acting as harsh selective agents on occupy these
areas. These two biomes have the fewest numbers of species
due to the stringent environmental conditions. In other words,
not everyone can live there due to the specialized adaptations
required by the environment. organisms that
Tropical Rain Forests
Tropical rain forests occur in regions near the equator. The
climate is always warm (between 20 and 25° C) with plenty of
rainfall (at least 190 cm/year). The rain forest is probably the
richest biome, both in diversity and in total biomass. The
tropical rain forest has a complex structure, with many levels
of life. More than half of all terrestrial species live in this
biome. While diversity is high, dominance by a particular
species is low.
While some animals live on the ground, most rain forest
animals live in the trees. Many of these animals spend their
entire life in the forest canopy. Insects are so abundant in
tropical rain forests that the majority have not yet been
identified. Charles Darwin noted the number of species found
on a single tree, and suggested the richness of the rain forest
would stagger the future systematist with the size of the
catalogue of animal species found there. Termites are critical
in the decomposition and nutrient cycling of wood. Birds tend
to be brightly colored, often making them sought after as
exotic pets. Amphibians and reptiles are well represented.
Monkeys feed on fruits in tropical rain forest trees.
Encroachment and destruction of habitat put all these animals
and plants at risk.
Epiphytes are plants that grow on other plants. These
epiphytes have their own roots to absorb moisture and
minerals, and use the other plant more as an aid to grow taller.
Some tropical forests are seasonal and have trees that shed
leaves in dry season. The warm, moist climate supports high
productivity as well as rapid decomposition of detritus.
With its yearlong growing season, tropical forests have a rapid
cycling of nutrients. Soils in tropical rain forests tend to have
very little organic matter since most of the organic carbon is
tied up in the standing biomass of the plants. These tropical
soils, termed laterites, make poor agricultural soils after the
forest has been cleared.
About 17 million hectares of rain forest are destroyed each
year. Estimates indicate the forests will be destroyed (along
with a great part of the Earth's diversity) within 100 years.
Rainfall and climate patterns could change as a result.
Shrubland
The shrubland biome is dominated by shrubs with small but
thick evergreen leaves that are often coated with a thick, waxy
cuticle, and with thick underground stems that survive the dry
summers and frequent fires.
Grasslands
Grasslands occur in temperate and tropical areas with reduced
rainfall (10-30 inches per year) or prolonged dry seasons. Soils
in this region are deep and rich and are excellent for
agriculture. Grasslands are almost entirely devoid of trees, and
can support large herds of grazing animals. Natural grasslands
once covered over 40 percent of the earth's land surface. In
temperate areas where rainfall is between 10 and 30 inches a
year, grassland is the climax community because it is too wet
for desert and too dry for forests.
Aquatic Biomes
Freshwater
Lakes, streams, rivers
Marine
Oceans, coral reef, estuaries
Deserts
Deserts are characterized by dry conditions and a wide
temperature range. The dry air leads to wide daily temperature
fluctuations from freezing at night to over 120 degrees during
the day. Most deserts occur at latitudes of 30° N or S where
descending air masses are dry. Some deserts occur in the
rainshadow of tall mountain ranges or in coastal areas near
cold offshore currents. Plants in this biome have developed a
series of adaptations (such a succulent stems, and small, spiny,
or absent leaves) to conserve water and deal with these
temperature extremes.
► The Sahara and a few other deserts have almost no

vegetation. Most deserts, however, are home to a variety
of plants, all adapted to heat and lack of abundant water
(succulents and cacti).

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5 BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES

THE WATER CYCLE

► The Sahara and a few other deserts have almost no

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