Biogeochemical Cycles

what do biogeochemical cycles describe?

the flow of essential elements from the environment to living things and back to the environment

major cycles?

hydrologic cycle

carbon cycle

nitrogen cycle

phosphorus cycle

water cycle

consists of precipitation, runoff, evaporation, transpiration, and runoff

reservoirs

major storage location

evaporation

liquid to gas

condensation

gas to a liquid

precipitation

any form of water that falls from the sky

runoff

process in the water cycle during which streams and rivers carry water back to the oceans

reservoirs of the water cycle

oceans, air (water vapor), groundwater, glaciers

carbon cycle

the movement of carbon from the nonliving environment into living things and back.

reservoirs (carbon cycle)

atmosphere (as carbon dioxide)

fossil fuels

peat

organic material (cellulose)

nitrogen cycle

the cycle in which nitrogen gas is changed into forms of nitrogen that plants can use

reservoirs (nitrogen cycle)

atmosphere/air

nitrification

process by which certain bacteria convert ammonia to nitrates

nitrogen fixation

process by which certain bacteria convert nitrogen gas to ammonia for plant growth

denitrification

conversion of nitrates in the soil by bacteria into nitrogen gas

ammonification

decomposers covert organic waste into ammonia

phosphorus cycle

the movement of phosphorus atoms from rocks through the biosphere and hydrosphere and back to rocks

reservoir (phosphorus cycle)

rocks, ocean sediments

transpiration

the process of water vapor evaporating from plants and into the atmosphere

eutrophication

increased nutrients in water which causes excess algae, when the algae dies and decomposes, it depletes the oxygen and leads to hypoxia

human interventions for water cycle

impervious surfaces - limits infiltration, which limits the groundwater supply, and also increases runoff

human intervention for carbon cycle

burning fossil fuels - adds more carbon into the atmosphere which is a greenhouse gas

human intervention for nitrogen cycle

deforestation - releases stored nitrogen from plants, which can get into waterways and pollute runoff

human intervention for phosphorus cycle

fertilizer use - pollutes runoff by adding excess phosphorus into water and causes eutrophication