biogeochemical cycles

Examples of biogeochemical cycles in the following topics:

• Sources and Sinks of Essential Elements

  • Biogeochemical cycles are pathways by which essential elements flow from the abiotic and biotic compartments of the Earth.
  • Flows of nutrients from living to non-living components of the Earth are called biogeochemical cycles.
  • Ecosystems hinge on biogeochemical cycles.
  • The nitrogen cycle, the phosphorous cycle, the sulfur cycle, and the carbon cycle all involve assimilation of these nutrients into living things.
  • This flow from abiotic to biotic compartments of the Earth is typical of biogeochemical cycles.

• Role of Microbes in Biogeochemical Cycling

  • Microbes form the backbone of every ecological system by controlling global biogeochemical cycling of elements essential for life.
  • Nutrients move through the ecosystem in biogeochemical cycles.
  • A biogeochemical cycle is a pathway by which a chemical element (such as carbon or nitrogen) circulates through the biotic (living) and the abiotic (non-living) factors of an ecosystem.
  • Elements, chemical compounds, and other forms of matter are passed from one organism to another and from one part of the biosphere to another through these biogeochemical cycles.
  • Ecosystems have many biogeochemical cycles operating as a part of the system.

• Biogeochemical Cycles

  • The elemental components of organic matter are cycled through the biosphere in an interconnected process called the biogeochemical cycle.
  • Because geology and chemistry have major roles in the study of this process, the recycling of inorganic matter between living organisms and their environment is called a biogeochemical cycle.
  • The components of organic molecules are constantly being stored and recycled as part of their biogeochemical cycle.
  • The cycling of all of these elements is interconnected.
  • Thus, mineral nutrients are cycled, either rapidly or slowly, through the entire biosphere, from one living organism to another, and between the biotic and abiotic world.

• The Carbon Cycle

  • Carbon enters the atmosphere in the form of carbon dioxide via the carbon cycle and returns to organic carbon via photosynthesis.
  • The carbon cycle is most easily studied as two interconnected sub-cycles: one dealing with rapid carbon exchange among living organisms and the other dealing with the long-term cycling of carbon through geologic processes .
  • Gas exchange through the atmosphere and water is one way that the carbon cycle connects all living organisms on Earth.
  • This is another example of how human activity indirectly affects biogeochemical cycles in a significant way.
  • Volcanic activity and human emissions bring this stored carbon back into the carbon cycle.

• Ocean Floor

  • Microbial life plays a primary role in regulating biogeochemical systems in virtually all of our planet's environments, including some of the most extreme, from frozen environments and acidic lakes, to hydrothermal vents at the bottom of deepest oceans, and some of the most familiar, such as the human small intestine.
  • These microbes play a vital role in biogeochemical cycles.
  • The nitrogen cycle, the phosphorus cycle and the carbon cycle all depend on microorganisms in one way or another.

• Planktonic Food Webs

  • Aside from representing the bottom few levels of a food chain that supports commercially important fisheries, plankton ecosystems play a role in the biogeochemical cycles of many important chemical elements, including the ocean's carbon cycle.

• Introduction to Ecology

  • Ecosystem processes, such as primary production, pedogenesis (the formation of soil), nutrient cycling, and various niche construction activities, regulate the flux of energy and matter through an environment.
  • Ecosystems sustain life-supporting functions and produce natural capital, such as biomass production (food, fuel, fiber and medicine), the regulation of climate, global biogeochemical cycles, water filtration, soil formation, erosion control, flood protection, and many other natural features of scientific, historical, economic, or intrinsic value.

• Microbes and Ecosystem Niches

  • By virtue of their omnipresence, microbes impact the entire biosphere; indeed, microbial metabolic processes (including nitrogen fixation, methane metabolism, and sulfur metabolism) collectively control global biogeochemical cycling.

• Planktonic Communities

  • Aside from representing the bottom few levels of a food chain that supports commercially important fisheries, plankton ecosystems play a role in the biogeochemical cycles of many important chemical elements, including the ocean's carbon cycle.

• Life Cycle of Small Business