6-Biogeochemical cycling 1

Groundwater

Water found beneath the Earth's surface, serving as a major drinking water source and hosting microbial communities involved in various metabolic processes.

What is the dominating microbial community of groundwater

Hydrogen consuming methanogens

Macronutrients

Essential nutrients like calcium, magnesium, and iron needed in relatively large concentrations for microbial growth and metabolism.

Micronutrients

Essential nutrients like copper needed in trace amounts for microbial growth and metabolism.

Hypereutrophication

Excessive nutrient levels, particularly phosphate, leading to cyanobacterial blooms and ecological imbalances in freshwater environments.

Phosphite oxidation by sulphate reduction

Phosphite is oxidised to phosphate while reducing sulphate to hydrogen sulphide

Iron and microbes

Essential for microbial survival, with its availability impacting microbial growth and pathogenicity.

What elements supply oxygen to anaerobes

Nitrate and sulphate

Nitrifying bacteria

Converts nitrites to nitrates

Nitrogen cycle

Involves the conversion of ammonia to nitrites and nitrates by nitrifying bacteria, influencing plant growth and ecosystem dynamics.

Crenarchaeota

Cold-loving Archaea with a major role in global biogeochemical cycles, particularly in nitrification processes.

Nitrification

Oxidation of ammonia to nitrites in oxygenated environments

Denitrification

Reduction of nitrates to nitrogen gas in anaerobic environments

SAR11 bacteria

Abundant marine bacteria

Roles in nitrogen cycling, particularly in oxygen minimum

Contribute to nitrogen loss through unknown metabolic pathways