Nitrogen cycles

what is the direction of flow of the energy cycle

1. energy enters as sunlight and leaves as heat

2. heat cannot be recycled

3. the flow of energy through an ecosystem is therefore in a linear direction

what is the direction of flow of nutrients

1. nutrients are taken up by the producers - plants - as simple organic molecules

2. the producer incorporates the nutrient into complex organic molecules

3. when the producer is eaten, the nutrient passes into the consumer

4. then passing along the food chain when these are eaten by other consumers higher on the food chain

5. when consumers and producers die, their complex molecules are broken down by saprobiontic microorganisms that release the nutrient in its simplest form. the cycle then repeats.

what is the role of saprobiontic microorganisms

• breaking down the complex molecules in decaying organisms into reusable nutrients.

• driving forces that ensure that nutrients are released for reuse

• w/o they would not be able to be reused

what are the steps to the phosphorus cycle

1. mainly found in rocks as phosphate ions (PO₄^3-)

2. weathering of rocks makes the ions available for uptake by plants

3. transferred into animals that will eat the plants

4. digestion and secretion by animals returns the ions to rivers, lakes and soils

5. this will also happen by the decomposition of the organisms

what is guano and why is this significant to the phosphorus cycle

Guano is a fertilizer consisting of the accumulated excrement of seabirds and bats, rich in phosphate.

it serves as a natural source of phosphorus, enhancing soil fertility and promoting plant growth.

it can also become embedded and stored in rocks

What are the steps of the nitrogen cycle?

Nitrogen fixation

Ammonification

Nitrification

Assimilation

Denitrification

absorption

what is nitrification 3

Nitrification is the biological process by which ammonia is oxidized to nitrites ions and then to nitrates by nitrifying bacteria , making nitrogen available to plants. It is carried out by specific bacteria in the soil.

what is absorption in the nitrogen cycle

Absorption in the nitrogen cycle refers to the process by which plants take up nitrates and ammonium from the soil through their roots by active transport, utilising these compounds to synthesize proteins and other essential molecules necessary for growth and development.

what is denitrification 4

As soil ids waterlogged, so less 02, so less nitrogen-fixing bacteria, so anaerobic denitrifying bacteria increase and convert nitrates into nitrogen gas, completing the cycle.

what is ammonification 2

Ammonification is the process by which organic nitrogen from compounds eg. urea, proteins, and vitamins in faeces is converted into ammonium ions by saprobiontic bacteria and released into the soil, making nitrogen available for other processes in the nitrogen cycle.

what is assimilation

Assimilation in the nitrogen cycle is the process by which plants and animals incorporate nitrogen from organic compounds, such as amino acids, into their own biological molecules. This process is crucial for the synthesis of proteins and nucleic acids.

what is nitrogen fixation 1

‘fixing the nitrogen’

Nitrogen fixation is the process by which atmospheric nitrogen gas is converted into ammonia or related compounds in the soil by certain bacteria, making nitrogen available for plant uptake.

bacteria;

mutualistic bacteria, living in root nodules - clover plants or legumes

(ammonium ions)

free living bacteria in the soil (ammonia)

what is the implication of the nitrogen cycle on land

farmers will turn the soil over and keep it aerated to maintain aerobic bacteria