NUTRIENT CYCLING AND RETENTION

Nutrient Cycles involve the ________ and ________

Nutrient cycles involve the storage (nutrient pools) and movement (nutrient flux) of nutrients in an environment

What do you call the storage of nutrients such that any source or receiving body of nutrients

Nutrient Pool

What do you call the movement of nutrients from pool to pool?

Nutrient flux

What is the greatest source of nutrient pool wherein you can find nitrogen, phosphorus, and carbon?

Ocean floor

Whereelse aside from the ocean floor can you find nutrient pool?

Terrestrial soil and Atmosphere

Global phosphorus cycle does not include

Substantial atmospheric pool

Where are the largest quantities of phosphorus found?

Mineral deposits and marine sediments

Phosphorus is slowly released in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems via

Weathering of rocks

Which specifically are most number of phosphorus is found in marine ecosystem?

ocean floor during tectonic activities

This is the cycle that includes major atmospheric pool

Nitrogen Cycle

Why is N2 not usable

Because most organisms cannot utilize this in it's direct form therefore undergo nitrification

In nitrogen cycle, most plants use

Nitrate or Nitrite

What organisms can use atmospheric supply directly?

Nitrogen fixers such as diazotrophs

What is an example of a nitrogen fixer

Diazotrophs

Upon death of an organism, N can be released by fungi and bacteria during decomposition as

NH4+ in ammonification or NO2- in nitrification

How is N2 returned to the atmosphere?

Denitrification

Explain the significant differences of nitrification rate and denitrification rate

Nitrification rate is always greater than the denitrification rate as a lot are returned but some relased through human activities and agricultural runoffs

Give an example where nitrogen fixing bacteria live

Legume root nodules

What is the largest actively cycled pool of N in the biosphere occur and because of what?

Ocean because of rivers

What cycle moves between organisms and atmosphere as a consequence of photosynthesis and respiration

Carbon Cycle

In aquatic ecosystems, CO2 must

CO2 must first dissolve in water before being used by primary producers such as phytoplankton and algae

What contains the largest pool of carbon on the planet

Carbonate rocks

Co2 dissolved in water…

CO2 dissolved in water lowers ph, also produces bicarbonate that neutralize the ocean

Explain how phosphorus cycle occurs

The phosphorus cycle starts with the weathering of phosphate-rich rocks, releasing phosphate into soil and water for plant uptake. It returns to the soil or sediments through decomposition of organisms.

Explain how nitrogen cycle works

The nitrogen cycle starts with nitrogen-fixing bacteria converting N2 into ammonia, which plants use. It returns to the atmosphere through denitrification after decomposition.

Explain the carbon cycle

The carbon cycle starts with plants absorbing CO2, which moves through the food chain and returns to the atmosphere via respiration, decay, and combustion.