Download What are biogeochemical cycles?

What are biogeochemical cycles?
• Earth system has four parts
–
–
–
–
Atmosphere
Hydrosphere
Lithosphere
Biosphere
• Biogeochemical cycles: The chemical
interactions (cycles) that exist between the
atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere, and
biosphere.
• Abiotic (physio-chemical) and biotic
processes drive these cycles
• Focus on carbon, nitrogen, water cycles (but
could include all necessary elements for life)
What is common amongst them?
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•
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Typical exist in all four parts of the Earth System
There are ‘pools’
Are transformed chemically or biochemically
There are fluxes between the pools
Transformations are important
Transformations can lead to positive and negative
consequences
Transformations
Examples of Transformations
1. Carbon cycle: Organic compounds to CO2 (process:
decomposition or fire)
2. Carbon cycle: CO2 to organic compounds (process:
photosynthesis)
3. Nitrogen cycle: N2 to NO3 (atmospheric nitrogen to plant
utilizable nitrate) (process: N-fixation)
4. Nitrogen cycle: N2 to NH3 (plant utilizable ammonia)
(process: Haber-Bosch Industrial N-fixation)
5. Water cycle: Liquid water to water vapor (process:
evaporation and evapo-transpiration)
6. Water cycle: Water vapor to liquid water (process:
condensation)
Carbon Cycle
760
5000
http://www.epa.gov/climatechange/kids/carbon_cycle_version2.html
Key Aspects of the Carbon Cycle
• Carbon is the skeleton of all life.
• Carbon dioxide is a critical gas:
– Taken up by plants in photosynthesis
– Released by plants and animals in respiration
– Released during decomposition (and fires)
– Greenhouse gas (greenhouse effect - your car in the
sun)
Nitrogen Cycle
Forms
Sources
of biologically
Forms
of&Nitrogen
Losses
of nitrogen
from available
systemnitrogen
1. N2 - inert gas, 78% of the atmosphere
plants
2.For NO,
N20, NO2 - other gases of nitrogen, not directly biologically important. Part
•• NO
In
bogs,
lakes
of 3the
gases
found(places
in smog. of low oxygen), NO3 is converted to N2
++ -- ionic forms of nitrogen that are biologically usable.
NH
3.• by
NO4bacteria
3 and NH4 (get
their oxygen from the NO3)
• Sources: N-fixation by plants
(N2 to NH3 and N2 to NO3), lightening, bacteria
+ (urea)
• Volatilization
of
NH
to ammonia
decomposition of organic 4N (amino acids
& proteins) gas (NH3) - warm, dry
conditions.
For
animals of NO - (nitrate)
• Leaching
3
• Organic forms: amino acids and proteins (from plants or other animals)
• Erosion
• Fire (combustion)
http://soil.gsfc.nasa.gov/NFTG/nitrocyc.htm
Nitrogen Sources over time
Nitrogen Cycle: Key Points
• Nitrogen is in the atmosphere as N2 (78%)
• N2 is an inert gas and cannot be used by
plants or animals
• N2 can be converted to a usable form via
– Lightening
– N-fixing plants and cyanobacteria
– Industrial process
• Nitrogen limits plant growth
Summary
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•
•
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1. What are systems?
2. What are biogeochemical cycles?
3. Why are they important?
4. What is common about them?
5. Carbon and nitrogen cycles