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Cycle Carbon Nitrogen Why is it Flows / Important Compartments? important? Processes Sphere / Form of nutrient Interesting / Location Notes - Carbon is the basic building block of the four major macromolecules (carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, & nucleic acids) as well as other important organic molecules - Carbon bonds store energy! - Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas – essential for maintaining Earth’s temperature – BUT too much greenhouse gas can be a bad thing - Nitrogen is a key component in macromolecules such as proteins, vitamins, and nucleic acids (DNA and RNA) - Nitrogen is a limiting factor for primary productivity - Cause of eutrophication How Humans Alter the Cycle Additional Respiration/Photosynthesis Weathering, run‐off Shell, rock, fuel formation Combustion, volcanoes, dissolution Sedimentation Biosphere: biomass, energy structure Atmosphere: CO2, CH4 important! Lithosphere: CaCO3 limestone Hydrosphere: equilibrium with ocean, biomass/structure - The extraction and burning of huge quantities of fossil fuels release large amounts of CO2 to atmosphere - The clear-cutting of carbon-absorbing vegetation release CO2 - The increased concentration of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases (methane, water) are warming our planet and projected to change Earth’s climate this century Climate “thermostat” Sinks/sources Ocean acidification Nitrogen fixation (N2 to NH3/NH4+) Nitrification (NO2‐/NO3‐) Assimilation (uptake by plants/animals) Ammonification (decomp) Denitrification (to N2) Atmosphere (main): N2 stable Biosphere: absorb into tissues, amino acids Lithosphere: NH3/NH4+ NO2‐ toxic NO3‐ Hydrosphere: run‐off - We add nitric oxide to the atmosphere as we burn fuel at high temperatures. NO NO2 HNO3 which falls to the earth as acid deposition aka acid rain. - Anaerobic bacteria break down inorganic fertilizer/ organic manure and contribute nitrous oxide N2O to the atmosphere. Nitrous oxide is a greenhouse gas. - Deforestation releases large quantities of nitrogen stored in soils and plants, back to a gas - Agricultural runoff of fertilizers, animal manure, and sewage discharge add excess nitrates NO3- to bodies of water. This can lead to eutrophication - Harvesting of crops, irrigation, and burning or clearing of grasslands and forests can cause nitrogen to wash away from the topsoil. - We have more than doubled the annual release of nitrogen from the land due to the inorganic fertilizers Lots of types of bacteria! Hydrologic - Water is essential to organisms for rxns and cell processes - Has high heat storage distributes heat and determines regional and local climates - Greenhouse gas - Sculpts landscapes - Universal solvent, interacts w/ the mvmt of other cycles b/c it transports them - Natural water purifier - Necessity in industry, waste management Evaporation/Transpiration Condensation/Precipitation Run‐off Infiltration Percolation (Absorption) Lithosphere: liquid, above surface, surface soils, deep in ground Biosphere: plants, animals liquid Hydrosphere: mostly liquid (streams/groundwater/glaciers) Atmosphere: precipitation - Overuse – use faster than can replenish - Increase pollutants in runoff - Reduce infiltration –paved surfaces prevent recharging of groundwater - Accelerate erosion - Increase risk of flooding – when we drain and fill wetlands for farming - Alter weather – deforestation reduces transpiration of rainforests, Reduced shade also evaporates water before it can permeate the soil. Some purification, some contamination Evapotranspirati on Leaching Erosion Phosphorus - Phosphate ions PO43are an important nutrient - Phosphate is incorporated into nucleic acids, ADP, and ATP, bones, and teeth - Can be a limiting nutrient - Cause of eutrophication Assimilation, Decomposition Weathering Leaching/run‐off to rivers, to ocean. Mining, fertilizing Lithosphere: (main) – P, PO4‐3 Biosphere: absorbs PO4‐3 Hydrosphere: some in solution, sediments - Humans mine phosphate salts which are added to fertilizers & fields. Excess phosphates from runoff can also cause eutrophication - Clearing of rain forests causes phosphates to wash away Upwelling guano No atmospheric component Sulfur - Essential nutrient – Used in amino acids, proteins, enzymes, keratin - allows organism to use oxygen - Can cause acid rain Combustion of coal Volcanoes, vents Wet/dry deposition Assimilation, Decomposition Weathering/run‐off Sedimentation/lithification Lithosphere: (main) – gypsum, pyrite (in coal) Atmosphere: SO2, H2S from volcanoes, SO2, SO4‐2 from combustion, DMS Bios: less significant assim (some proteins), decomposition, some deposition on plants Hydro: SO4‐2, forms DMS, spray - Changes in DMS emissions can affect cloud cover/climate (DMS is byproduct of paper) - DMS can be converted to SO2 SO3 H2SO4. Can also form salts. Make gasoline and burn sulfur containing coal and oil. Goes to atmosphere, causes acid rain. More regional than global, DMS condensation nuclei, smell