Enviornmental Science mOdule 3

First step of nitrogen cycle

fixation

Second step of nitrogen cycle

Storage

Third step of nitrogen cycle

Accumulation

Fourth step of nitrogen cycle

Recycling

Three ways to fix nitrogen

Atmospheric

Industrial

Biological

Atmospheric nitrogen

Lightning breaks dinitrogen bonds, so it can combine with other molecules to make nitrate. Rain then carries the nitrogen.

Industrial nitrogen

Combines nitrogen and hydrogen over an iron catalyst to make ammonia but taxes the delicate nitrogen cycle

Biological nitrogen

Produced on land and in the sea. 90% of nitrogen are produced this way.

Biogeochemical Cycles

Movement of nutrients such as carbon, nitrogen and phosphorous through abiotic and biotic compounds of ecosystems

phosphates move slowly through soils and ocean

slowest biogeochemical cycle

nitrogen cycle much more dynamic

planting nitrogen, fixing crops, making phosphorous, increases the amount of reactive nitrogen and speeds up release of phosphorous in the air

eutrophication

excess of nutrients in a lake or other body of water frequently due to the run off from the land dense growth of plants and death of animal life.