3-3 Cycles of matter3-3 Cycles of matter

Recycling in the BiosphereRecycling in the Biosphere

• UnlikeUnlike the one-way the one-way flow of energy,flow of energy,

MATTER is recycledMATTER is recycled within and between within and between ecosystemsecosystems

• Biogeochemical Biogeochemical cyclescycles connect connect – BiologyBiology– geologygeology– chemistrychemistry

Water Water cyclecycle

• Water is essential to all lifeWater is essential to all life• Fresh water from the oceans moves into the Fresh water from the oceans moves into the

atmosphere by atmosphere by – EvaporationEvaporation condensationcondensation– Transpiration (leaves)Transpiration (leaves) precipitationprecipitation

Nutrient Nutrient cyclescycles

• Chemicals Chemicals needed by needed by living things living things to build to build tissues, carry tissues, carry out essential out essential life functionslife functions

circulatecirculate through the through the ecosystemecosystem

Carbon Carbon cyclecycle

• Carbon is Carbon is essential to essential to lifelife

• It moves out It moves out of the air into of the air into plantsplants

• Returns with Returns with burning, burning, decompositiodecomposition,respirationn,respiration

Nitrogen cycleNitrogen cycle

• N in the ground is N in the ground is changed by soil changed by soil bacteriabacteria

• Taken up by plantsTaken up by plants

• Animals Animals eateat their N their N

• Decay, feces return Decay, feces return N back to the soilN back to the soil

Nitrogen CycleNitrogen Cycle

Bacterial nitrogen fixation

N2 in Atmosphere

NH3

Synthetic fertilizer manufacturer

Uptake by producers

Reuse by consumers

Decomposition excretion

Atmospheric nitrogen fixation

Uptake by producers

Reuse by consumers

Decomposition

Decomposition excretion

NO3 and NO2

Synthetic fertilizermanufacture

PhosphorusPhosphorusCycleCycle

• P is needed for P is needed for DNA, RNADNA, RNA

• It is It is rarerare in the in the biospherebiosphere

• Most P is Most P is stored in rocks stored in rocks and ocean and ocean sedimentssediments

OceanLand

Organisms

Sediments

Limiting nutrientsLimiting nutrients

• If a nutrient is scarce, it will limit If a nutrient is scarce, it will limit growth in an ecosystemgrowth in an ecosystem

• Fertilizers supply N, P, Potassium as Fertilizers supply N, P, Potassium as they are needed for growththey are needed for growth

• TOO MUCH of a nutrient can upset TOO MUCH of a nutrient can upset the balance also: fertilizer runoff the balance also: fertilizer runoff forms algal blooms in rivers and forms algal blooms in rivers and lakeslakes