Cycles Flashcards
biogeochemical cycle
movement of element/compound between living/non living forms in biosphere
nutrient movement
nutrients move from primary/secondary and decomposition and is released
decomposition
dead organism is broken down by fungi/bacteria and energy/nutrients is released
mineralisation
animals/fungi convert organic molecules to inorganic molecules
primary
turn organic to organic, autotrophs
secondary
eats autotrophs/primary (heterotrophs) and turns to inorganic, transfers energy
how are nutrients lost
groundwater
flux
movement of nutrients between pools
pool
element in given area
hydrological cycle
movement of water globally, important for moving nutrients
evapotranspiration
transfer of water/heat by evaporation from plants to atmosphere
how nutrients move by hydrological cycle
water evaporates leaving nutrients, water is moved to oceans bringing nutrients
residence times
how long water stays in an area
climate change/hydrological cycle
more evaporation/more rain, wet gets wetter, less water from evaporation decreases nutrient transfer
nitrogen uses
making proteins/needed for life
why is nitrogen stable
stable triple bond
nitrogen cycle
nitrogen from atmosphere gets fixed by bacteria into ammonia then converts to nitrite then nitrate, now soluble and can be used by others
what else can provide nitrogen
lightning/agriculture
biological fixation
diazotrophs, nitrogenease (enzyme), nitrogenease adds 3 pairs of hydrogen atoms, it binds nitrogen molecule with 2 hydrogen atoms with ATP which breaks bonds, this happens until ammnonia is formed
which area converts more nitrogen
marine
how much ATP is needed
16
when is fixation needed
in low nitrogen areas
nitrogen fertiliser
manure, haber bosch process increases nitrogen for fertiliser
phosphorus cycle
needed for growth, limited nutrient as cant add to cycle as no gas form, found in decaying organisms, main source from crust, slow cycle as needs to go through rock cycle
