apes carbon nitrogen cycles

biogeochemical cycle

tracks movement of matter through ecosystem

reservoirs

components that contain matter (lake, soil, ocean)

source

leaves reservoir (campfires, car engines, cows)

sink

stored in reservoir (oceans, trees, landfills)

the carbon cycle

PRESEC: photosynthesis, respiration, exchange, sedimentation, extraction, combustion

fast processes (carbon)

hold carbon for short periods of time (CO2 in air or water)

slow processes (carbon)

holds carbon for long periods of time (fossil fuels; rocks, soil, petroleum)

photosynthesis

solar energy converted to CO2 and water into glucose and oxygen. when consumers eat producers, they consume carbon as well.

respiration

cells convert glucose and oxygen into energy (CO2 and water) so CO2 is returned to the environment.

exchange

CO2 dissolved in the ocean enters the food web through algae photosynthesis

sedimentation

CO2 in the ocean combines with calcium ions to form calcium carbonate, which forms limestone

steady state

a state in which inputs equal outputs, usually exists without humans

extraction

coal, oil, natural gases extracted for human uses

combustion

using carbon sources release CO2 into the air OR natural occurrences like fires or volcanoes release CO2 as well

greenhouse gas effect

gases that absorb heat from the sun then release that heat back to the earth (CARBON)

human impacts on carbon cycle

deforestation, use of fossil fuels

limiting nutrient

necessary for plant growth but limited in amount

nitrogen cycle

FNMAD: fixation, nitrification, materialization, assimilation, denitrification

nitrogen fixation

turns nitrogen into usable forms for plants

abiotic fixation

lightning/fires convert nitrogen to nitrates, which is carried to plants through rain OR fertilizer, which is nitrogen turned into either nitrate or ammonium

blue/green algae fixation

blue/green algae synthesize their own tissues then excrete ammonium ions for other plants to use

legume root fixation

legume root bacterias excrete ammonium ions into root systems that legume plants can use

nitrification

conversion of ammonia to nitrites then nitrates

assimilation

once producers take in nitrogen, they are eaten by consumers

mineralization (ammonification)

once organisms die, decomposers break them back down into ammonium

denitrification

nitrate is converted into nitrous oxide, then into nitrogen gas and emitted to the atmosphere

human impact on nitrogen cycle

fertilizers add additional nitrogen into the environment