Download Biogeochemical cycling

Biogeochemical cycling
Generalized
Nutrient
cycling
consumers
producers
consumers
decomposers
decomposers
nutrients
nutrients
ENTER
FOOD CHAIN
made
available
= made available
to producers
to producers
Decomposition
connects all
trophic levels
abiotic
abiotic
reservoir
reservoir
geologic
geologic
processes
processes
return to
abiotic
reservoir
Carbon cycle
CO2 in
atmosphere
Diffusion
Respiration
abiotic reservoir:
 CO2 in atmosphere
enter food chain:
Combustion
of fuels =
 photosynthesis
carbon fixation in
Industry and home
Calvin cycle
Photosynthesis
recycle:

return to abiotic:
 respiration
Plants
 combustion
Animals
Dissolved CO2
Bicarbonates
Photosynthesis
Animals
Plants and algae
Carbonates in sediment
Deposition of
dead material
Deposition
of dead
material
Fossil fuels
(oil, gas, coal)
abiotic reservoir:
 surface & atmospheric
water
enter food chain:
 precipitation & plant
uptake
Solar energy
recycle:
 transpiration
return to abiotic:
Evaporation
 evaporation & runoff
Water
cycle
Transpiration
Water vapor
Precipitation
Oceans
Runoff
Lakes
Percolation in soil
Groundwater
Aquifer
Phosphorus cycle
Plants
Land
animals
Soluble soil
phosphate
Loss in
drainage
(bacteria and
fungi)
Rocks and
minerals
Phosphates
Decomposers
(bacteria & fungi) in solution
Animal tissue
and feces
abiotic reservoir:
 rocks, minerals, soil
enter food chain:
 erosion releases
soluble phosphate
 uptake by plants
recycle:
 decomposing bacteria
Animal
tissue
&
fungi
Urine and feces
return to abiotic:
 loss to Decomposers
ocean sediment
Aquatic
animals
Loss to deep sediment
Plants and
algae
Precipitates
Nitrogen cycle
Carnivores
abiotic reservoir:
 N in atmosphere
enter food chain:
 nitrogen fixation by
soil & aquatic bacteria
recycle:
 decomposing &Herbivores
nitrifying bacteria
return to abiotic:
 denitrifying bacteria
Birds
Plankton with
nitrogen-fixing
bacteria
Plants
Death, excretion, feces
Fish
excretion
Atmospheric
nitrogen
Decomposing bacteria
amino acids
Ammonifying bacteria
loss to deep sediments
Nitrifying bacteria
soil nitrates
Nitrogen-fixing
bacteria
(plant roots)
Nitrogen-fixing
bacteria
(soil)
Denitrifying
bacteria
Anthropogenic

Man made fertilizers
◦ Equal to the global natural nitrogen fixation
What happens when there is an
overabundance of chemicals in the soil?
Eutrophication
What is the ozone layer?
Stratosphere contains a layer of ozone (O3).
Role is to absorb damaging UV radiation.
Cholorflourocarbon: CFC’s

Man-made chemical used in
◦ Refrigerants
◦ Car Coolants
◦ Aerosol cans
Reaction of O3 with CFC’s
Consequences of Ozone depletion
Thinning of this layer increases UV
radiation to at the Earth’s surface.
 Increase of skin cancer
 Eye damage
 Plant tissue damage
http://galimatikciencia.wordpress.com/2012/03/13/muere-el-hombre-que-descubrio-elagujero-de-la-capa-de-ozono/
Global Warming
Greenhouse gases- a natural layer of
gases that are transparent to sunlight but
trap heat radiating from the Earth’s
surface.
 Gases: Methane, CO2, water vapor, N2O
and O3 when it is in the troposhere.

Evidence of global warming
Increase of Pathogens
Colorado pine bark beetles and fungus
they carry damage pine trees
 Mosquitoes carry deneque fever and
malaria

Increase in Sulphur and Nitrogen
Burning of fossil fuels
 Leads to acidification
 Graph shows number of lakes at that pH
and number of fish species.

Inefficiency of energy transfer

sun
Loss of energy between levels of food chain
◦ To where is the energy lost? The cost of living!
17%
growth
only this energy
moves on to the
next level in
the food chain
energy lost to
daily living
33%
cellular
respiration
50%
waste (feces)