nutrient cycling

Chemicals

Ecosystems Require ____ Including Elements And Molecules

They Are Essential For Development, Growth,

Maintenance, Physiology, And Reproduction

• CO2, NH3, O2, Ca, Fe, Mg, P, S, etc

Nutrient cycling

____ ____ Through Ecosystems

It Includes The Cycling And Movement Of

Elements And Molecules

Nutrients Are Stored In “Pools” In Air, Soil, And

Water

Nutrients Move Among -

•Pools

•Species

•Pools And Species

The Carbon Cycle

Autotrophs Need Carbon Dioxide (CO2) Molecules To Make Carbohydrates

•Cellular Respiration Produces CO2

•Chemosynthesis And Photosynthesis Consume CO2

The Nitrogen Cycle

All Species Need Nitrogen In The Form Of

NH3 Or NO3 To Synthesize Amino Acids And Nucleotides

• Plants And Algae Uptake NH3 And NO3-

Nitrogen Fixation Converts N2 To NH3

• Nitrifying Bacteria Convert N2 To NH3

• Denitrifying Bacteria Convert NO3- To N

The Phosphorus (P) Cycle

All Species Require P To Synthesize -

•DNA

•RNA

•Nucleotides

•Phospholipids

•Phosphoproteins

Mycorrhizae Increase P Uptake By Roots

Biomass

The Decomposition Of ____ Recycles Nutrients In Ecosystems

The Feeding Activities Of Decomposers And Vertebrate Scavengers Release Nutrients From Non-Living Organic

Matter Into Air, Soil, And Water

•This Recycles The Nutrients Making Them Available To All The Species In Ecosystems

Livestock Producers

In Some Regions, ____ ____ Place Poisoned Animal Carcasses In Adjacent Areas To Kill

Predators. How Will This Practice Affect The Rate Of Biomass Decomposition In These Areas?

Factors That Impact Decomposition Rates In Terrestrial Ecosystems

Moisture, T0, And The Chemical Composition Of The Organic Matter Itself

•Mineralization Is The Conversion Of Organic Matter To Inorganic Forms

Evapotranspiration (AET)

____ Correlates With Biomass Decomposition Rates In Terrestrial Ecosystems

 This Graph Shows The Relationship Between Decomposition And Evapotranspiration (AET) In Terrestrial Ecosystems

Biomass Decomposition In Aquatic Ecosystems

 N And P Levels In Stream Water Affect The

Decomposition Rates Of Leaves

• N Is Nitrogen

• P Is Phosphorus

• Low N / P Ratios Favor Fungi Communities

That Degrade Leaf Litter Including Lignin

Migration

____ Transports Nutrients Among Freshwater, Saltwater, And Terrestrial Ecosystems

 The Disruption Of Migration Reduces The Exchange Of Nutrients Among Ecosystems And Geographic Regions

Some Conservation Efforts Emphasize Scavenger Protection

Decomposition -

• Enables Sustainable Ecosystems

• Decreases Infectious Disease

• Increases Species Richness

There Are Efforts To Rewild The

Indigenous Scavengers Of Europe

Synthetic debris

Has Accumulated In Marine Ecosystems

There Have Not Been Sufficient Generations For

Decomposers To Evolve Enzymes To Degrade Some Synthetic Chemicals

Microplastics (>5mm) -

•Absorb Toxins

•Bioaccumulate In Food Webs

•Persist In Food Webs

Should We -

• Synthesize More Biodegradable Products?

• Use More Biodegradable Products