Biogeochemical cycle Flashcards
states that matter cannot be created nor destroyed; can only be transformed from one form to another
law of conservation of mass
Anything that takes up space and has mass
matter
a chemical substance that sustain life
nutrient
What cycles through the biosphere?
matter and nutrients
What are the cycles happening in the biosphere called?
biogeochemical cycle
Events by which nutrients flow between biotic and abiotic components of the earth
biogeochemical cycle
places where elements are kept for long period of time
reservoir
Water cycle
hydrologic cycle
Carbon, Oxygen, Nitrogen cycle
atmospheric cycle
phosphorus cycle
sedimentary cycle
readily accessible freshwater – which is found in…
rivers, lakes, wetlands and aquifers
68% of freshwater is in
glaciers
.3% of freshwater is in
surface water
30% of freshwater is in
aquifers
water → water vapor through solar energy
evaporation
water in plants → water vapor
transpiration
solid water → water vapor
sublimation
Water vapor condenses to form water droplets (clouds, fog, dew)
condensation
Water droplets fall (rain, snow or ice/hail)
precipitation
Water vapor → ice (snow and frost)
deposition
rate at which water enters a soil
infiltration
rate at which water moves through a soil
percolation
flow of water to drainage basin or watershed
runoff
place where water is kept
storage
All living things are composed of
carbon
framework for all biomolecules
carbon
plays a critical role in respiration, the energy-producing chemistry that drives the metabolisms of most living things
oxygen
Plants take up carbon dioxide from the air to carry out photosynthesis. This is when carbon enters the land food webs.
photosynthesis
Plants and all living things carry out aerobic respiration. Carbon returns to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide
cellular respiration
Carbon diffuses between the atmosphere and the ocean. Carbon dioxide becomes bicarbonate when it dissolves in ocean water
Formation of bicarbonate ion (HCO3-)
Marine producers take up bicarbonate for use in photosynthesis, and marine organisms release carbon dioxide produced by aerobic respiration
Aquatic photosynthesis and cellular
respiration
marine organisms incorporate carbons into their shells. These shells become part of the sediments. Over time, these become carbon-rich rocks
sedimentation
derived from the ancient remains of plants adds additional carbon dioxide into the atmosphere
burning of fossil fuels
formation of amino acid into proteins
nitrogen
can plants use N2?
no, because they don’t have the enzymes for it
Lightning can convert nitrogen gas to…?
nitrates
reservoir of nitrogen gas (N2) .
atmosphere
Nitrogen (N2) → Ammonia (NH3) which dissolves and forms…
ammonium ions (NH4+)
Nitrogen (N2) → Ammonia (NH3) → ammonium ions (NH4+) is done by what bacteria?
nitrogen-fixing bacteria
Nitrogen (N2) → Ammonia (NH3) which dissolves and forms ammonium ions (NH4+) done by nitrogen-fixing bacteria
ammonification
Plant roots take up ammonium from the soil then incorporate it in their proteins and nucleic acids
plant assimilation
Consumers get nitrogen by eating plants or one another
consumer assimilation
When consumer dies, bacterial and fungal decomposer breaks down nitrogen-rich waste and remains of organism and adds ammonium to the soil
decomposition
Ammonium (NH4+) brought by decomposers is converted into nitrate (NO3 -) by nitrifying bacteria
nitrification
What bacteria converts ammonium (NH4+) -> nitrate (NO3 -)?
nitrifying bacteria
Nitrate would be taken up form the soil by producers then producers would be eaten by consumers
assimilation
Nitrogen -> atmosphere as denitrifying bacteria convert nitrate to gaseous form
denitrifiction
what bacteria lets nitrogen go back to the atmosphere?
denitrifying bacteria
very reactive, so it exists bonded to oxygen as phosphate (PO43-)
phosphorus
ion that is found in rocks and sediments
phosphorus
important in making of nucleic acids, phospholipids, and ATP
phosphorus
move phosphate ions from rocks into soil, lake, and rivers
weathering/erosion
Phosphorus in solution absorb by the plants
plant metabolism
Consumer get phosphate by eating plants or one another
consumer metabolism
Phosphorus returns to soil in waste and remains
decomposition
Leaching and runoff delivers phosphate ions into the ocean and settles as deposits along the edges of continents
Phosphorus from weathering of rocks and decomposition of remains will leach and runoff leading to formation of phosphate sediment
movement of earth’s crust can uplift part of the seafloor where weathering releases phosphate from the rocks. Then, it would be absorbed by producer and the cycle continue
uplifting
characterized by excessive plant and algal growth due to the increased availability of one or more limiting growth factors needed for photosynthesis
eutrophication
clouds water and threatens other aquatic species, leading to eutrophication
algal bloom
phosphate-containing detergents, sewage, fertilizer runoff, and waste from livestock encourages
eutrophication
actions that reduce the human contribution to the planetary greenhouse effect
mitigation
lowering emissions of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide and methane, and particles like black carbon (soot) that have a warming effect
mitigation
promoting energy efficiency, clean technologies, and alternative fuels reduce…
greenhouse emissions
