nutrients 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