Nutrient Cycling and Retention

Question 1

what does nutrient cycling involve?

Answer 1

the storage of chemical elements in nutrient pools or compartments and the flux or transfer of nutrients between pools

Question 2

nutrients

Answer 2

elements organisms require for development, maintenance and reproduction

Question 3

nutrient cycling

Answer 3

use, transformation, movement and reuse of nutrients

- carbon, phosphorous and nitrogen

Question 4

what influences decomposition rate?

Answer 4

temperature, moisture and chemical composition of litter

- affects rate that nutrients are returned to primary producers

Question 5

terrestrial ecosystems decomposition

Answer 5

faster when warm and moist
faster with more nitrogen
slower with more lignin

Question 6

aquatic ecosystem decomposition

Answer 6

chemical composition influences

availability of nutrients in surrounding environments influences rate

Question 7

streams and nutrients

Answer 7

nutrients spiral, not cycle
length of stream need for an atom of nutrient to complete a cycle is spiralling length
macro invertebrates reduce spiralling length

Question 8

terrestrial organisms and nutrients

Answer 8

animals alter rate of cycling in excretion and spewing

nitrogen fixing plants increase quantity and rates of nitrogen cycling

Question 9

disturbance on nutrients

Answer 9

generally increases nutrient loss

Question 10

forests and disturbance

Answer 10

vegetation helps with nutrient retention and helps with disturbance by fire

Question 11

streams and disturbance

Answer 11

loss is highly pulsed and associated with floods