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Biogeochemical Cycles Overview

The document discusses several biogeochemical cycles including carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and geological cycles. It provides details on the stages and processes involved in the nitrogen and carbon cycles, including atmospheric, soil, plant, and microbial interactions. Specifically, it notes that nitrogen cycles between the atmosphere as N2 gas, soil through nitrogen fixation and conversion by bacteria, into living things through assimilation, and back to the soil and atmosphere through denitrification.

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Santiago High
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9 views24 pages

Biogeochemical Cycles Overview

The document discusses several biogeochemical cycles including carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and geological cycles. It provides details on the stages and processes involved in the nitrogen and carbon cycles, including atmospheric, soil, plant, and microbial interactions. Specifically, it notes that nitrogen cycles between the atmosphere as N2 gas, soil through nitrogen fixation and conversion by bacteria, into living things through assimilation, and back to the soil and atmosphere through denitrification.

Uploaded by

Santiago High
Copyright
© Attribution Non-Commercial (BY-NC)
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Chapter 5

Biogeochemical Cycles
Lake Washington Case Study
What is a biogeochemical cycle?
 Path a chem takes through air, water, soil,
orgs. and back to air or soil
 Time taken to cycle varies.
 Gaseous elements faster
 Non-gaseous slower
Geologic Cycles
 Tectonic Cycle
 Top layer (lithosphere) is constantly created
and destroyed. Large segments (tectonic
plates) move past one another.

Transform fault =
Convergent =
Divergent =
 Transform fault = sliding
 Convergent = colliding
 Divergent = spreading
Hydrologic Cycle: Ch 19 in detail
Major Global Cycles
 Carbon
 Nitrogen
 Phosphorus
 Where do we find C?
 Does it have an atm stage?
 How might carbon cycle be thrown out of
balance?

 What happens if out of balance?


The Carbon Cycle
 Gaseous (CO2 , CH4). Most important organic compound.
Nitrogen Cycle
 Where do we find N?
 Does it have an atm stage?
 How might the nitrogen cycle be thrown out of
balance?
 What happens if out of balance?
110 m. tons annually
 Nitrogen Cycle
 N2 = most of the atm
(about 80%)

10 m. tons annually
 Nitrogen cycle key steps!!:
 First in atmosphere as N2
 Then in the soil:
 1. Nitrogen fixation: fixes N2 to a form
plants can use
 2. Other bacteria convert ammonia into

nitrates ( NO3 )
 Into living things:
 3. Plants absorb nitrates and ammonia by
assimilation
 Back into soil again:

 Back into the atm again


80% N2 in atm

Nitrogen fixation

Denitrification Assimilation
Ammonification

Nitrification step2

Nitrification step1
Symbiosis - Crop Rotation
Phosphorus
 Phosphorus has no atm stage.
 How does this affect its’ use by l.t.s?
Phosphorus Cycle
 No gaseous phase

 Stored in rocks and organic material in soil


 Thanks to microbial action, changed to phosphates
(PO4 3- or HPO4 2- )which plants can access. (slowly)

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