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Biogeochemical Cycles and Nutrient Cycle

Biogeochemical cycles are essential pathways through which chemical elements and compounds move between living organisms, the atmosphere, and the Earth's crust, including major cycles like carbon, nitrogen, water, phosphorus, and sulfur. Each cycle plays a crucial role in ecosystem productivity, climate regulation, and biodiversity, while human activities can disrupt these natural processes. Understanding these cycles is vital for maintaining healthy ecosystems and addressing environmental challenges.

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5 views

Biogeochemical Cycles and Nutrient Cycle

Biogeochemical cycles are essential pathways through which chemical elements and compounds move between living organisms, the atmosphere, and the Earth's crust, including major cycles like carbon, nitrogen, water, phosphorus, and sulfur. Each cycle plays a crucial role in ecosystem productivity, climate regulation, and biodiversity, while human activities can disrupt these natural processes. Understanding these cycles is vital for maintaining healthy ecosystems and addressing environmental challenges.

Uploaded by

Hanna Shane Quirit
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Biogeochemical

Cycles and

Nutrient Cycle
Understanding Earth’s Natural Cycle
Biogeochemical cycles

Are the pathways that


chemical elements and
compounds move and
transform between living
organisms, the atmosphere,
and the Earth's crust.
Major Biogeochemical
Cycles:
1. Carbon Cycle
2. Nitrogen Cycle
3. Water (Hydrologic) Cycle
4. Phosphorus Cycle
5. Sulfur Cycle
Carbon cycle
The natural process
where carbon atoms
circulate between the
atmosphere, land, ocean,
and living organisms.
Key components of carbon
cycle
 Atmosphere: Carbon exists in the
atmosphere primarily as carbon dioxide
(CO2).
 Land: Carbon is stored in plants, soils, and
fossil fuels.
 Ocean: The ocean absorbs and releases
carbon, playing a significant role in the
global carbon cycle.
 Living Organisms: Plants, animals, and
other living things incorporate carbon into
their tissues and release it back into the
atmosphere through respiration or decay.
Nitrogen Cycle
Biogeochemical process through
which nitrogen is converted into
many forms, consecutively
passing from the atmosphere to
the soil to organism and back
into the atmosphere.
Processes that involves

Nitrogen fixation
 Ammonification
Denitrification
Nitrogen assimilation
 Nitrogen fixation - the process of converting atmospheric
nitrogen (N2) into forms that plants and other organisms can
use, primarily ammonia (NH3).
 Denitrification - a microbial process where bacteria convert
nitrate (NO3-) into nitrogen gas (N2) and other nitrogen
oxides, ultimately releasing it back into the atmosphere.
 Nitrogen assimilation - the process by which plants,
bacteria, and fungi convert inorganic nitrogen sources, like
nitrate or ammonia, into organic nitrogen compounds like
amino acids.
 Ammonification - is a crucial step in the nitrogen cycle
where decomposers, primarily bacteria and fungi, break
down organic nitrogenous waste and dead organisms,
releasing ammonia (NH3) or ammonium (NH4+).
Water cycle
Phosphorus cycle
a biogeochemical process
describing the movement of
phosphorus through the
lithosphere, hydrosphere, and
biosphere. Phosphorus is essential
for life and often a limiting
nutrient, playing a crucial role in
energy transfer, genetic material,
 Rock and Sediment: Phosphorus is primarily stored in rocks
and deep ocean sediments.
 Weathering and Erosion: Weathering and erosion release
phosphorus as phosphate ions (PO4^3-) into soil and water.
 Plant Uptake: Plants absorb inorganic phosphate from soil and
water.
 Animal Uptake: Animals obtain phosphorus by consuming
plants or other animals.
 Decomposition: When organisms die or excrete waste,
decomposers (bacteria and fungi) convert organic phosphorus
back into inorganic phosphate for reuse by plants.
 Runoff and Sedimentation: Some phosphate can leach from
soil into rivers and eventually the ocean. In aquatic
environments, phosphorus can be taken up by algae and other
primary producers or sink to the seafloor, forming new
sedimentary layers over time.
Sulfuric cycle
describes the movement of sulfur
through the atmosphere, rocks,
water, and living organisms. Sulfur
is an essential element for life,
particularly as a component of
proteins, and it exists in various
forms within the environment,
from elemental sulfur to sulfates.
Key aspects of the sulfur
cycle:
 Geological sources: Sulfur is primarily found in
sedimentary rocks and seawater.
 Atmospheric sulfur:Volcanic eruptions and
decomposition of organic matter release sulfur
dioxide (SO2) and hydrogen sulfide (H2S) into
the atmosphere.
 Transformation in the atmosphere: SO2
reacts with oxygen and water to form sulfuric
acid, which is a component of acid rain.
 Biological uptake: Plants and microorganisms
assimilate sulfate (SO4) from the soil and water,
 Food chain: Sulfur moves through the food
chain as plants and animals consume each
other, and is eventually released back into
the environment through decomposition.
 Microbial activity: Various bacteria play a
crucial role in sulfur transformations,
reducing sulfate to sulfide and oxidizing
sulfide to sulfate.
 Return to the environment: When
organisms die, sulfur is released back into
the soil and water, either as organic sulfur or
through microbial activity.
Nutrient cycle
Describes how essential elements
and compounds move through an
ecosystem, connecting living and
non-living components. It's a
cyclical process where nutrients
are taken up by organisms, passed
through the food web, and
ultimately returned to the
environment for reuse.
Essential Nutrients:

Macronutrients: Nitrogen (N),


Phosphorus (P), Potassium (K),
Calcium (Ca), Magnesium (Mg),
Sulfur (S)

Micronutrients: Iron (Fe), Zinc (Zn),


Manganese (Mn), Copper (Cu), etc.
How Nutrient Cycling
Works:
 Uptake by Plants – Roots absorb nutrients
from soil or water.
 Consumption – Animals eat plants,
transferring nutrients up the food chain.
 Decomposition – Dead organisms and
waste return nutrients to the soil via
decomposers (fungi, bacteria).
 Leaching and Erosion – Nutrients can be
lost from the soil, requiring replenishment.
Why These Cycles Matter
 Ecosystem Productivity: Nutrient
availability controls plant growth, which
supports herbivores and predators.
 Climate Regulation: Carbon and water
cycles directly influence weather and climate
patterns.
 Biodiversity: Healthy cycling supports
diverse, resilient ecosystems.
 Human Impact: Activities like agriculture,
deforestation, and fossil fuel use disrupt
these cycles, leading to problems like
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