NUTRIENT NUTRIENT CYCLESCYCLES

ELEMENTSELEMENTS

6 IMPORTANT ELEMENTS IN BIOLOGY:6 IMPORTANT ELEMENTS IN BIOLOGY:

CARBONCARBON HYDROGENHYDROGEN NITROGENNITROGEN OXYGENOXYGEN PHOSPHORUSPHOSPHORUS SULFURSULFUR

ENERGY FLOWENERGY FLOW

Energy flows through the Energy flows through the ecosystem—passed on from ecosystem—passed on from one organism to the next one organism to the next through food chains…through food chains…

ENERGY CANNOT BE ENERGY CANNOT BE RECYCLED!!!RECYCLED!!!

MOVEMENT OF MATTERMOVEMENT OF MATTER

Matter also flows through Matter also flows through ecosystems, however, it CAN ecosystems, however, it CAN BE recycled within and BE recycled within and between ecosystems.between ecosystems.

Matter moves through Matter moves through ecosystems in ecosystems in BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES.BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES.

BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLESBIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES

Biogeochemical cycles connect:Biogeochemical cycles connect: Biological aspects of the Biological aspects of the

biospherebiosphere Geological aspects of the Geological aspects of the

biospherebiosphere Chemical aspects of the Chemical aspects of the

biospherebiosphere

THE WATER CYCLETHE WATER CYCLEAKA: THE HYDROLOGIC CYCLEAKA: THE HYDROLOGIC CYCLE PRECIPITATION:PRECIPITATION:

The process in The process in which water (in the which water (in the form of rain, snow, form of rain, snow, sleet, or hail) falls sleet, or hail) falls from clouds in the from clouds in the sky.sky.

THE WATER CYCLETHE WATER CYCLEAKA: THE HYDROLOGIC CYCLEAKA: THE HYDROLOGIC CYCLE

EVAPORATION:EVAPORATION:Water changing from a Water changing from a

liquid to a gasliquid to a gas TRANSPIRATION:TRANSPIRATION:

Evaporation of water Evaporation of water from a plant’s leavesfrom a plant’s leaves

THE WATER CYCLETHE WATER CYCLEAKA: THE HYDROLOGIC CYCLEAKA: THE HYDROLOGIC CYCLE

CONDENSATION:CONDENSATION: The process in which water The process in which water

vapor (a gas) in the air turns into vapor (a gas) in the air turns into liquid water. Condensing water liquid water. Condensing water forms clouds in the sky. forms clouds in the sky.

Water drops that form on the outside Water drops that form on the outside of a glass of icy water are condensed of a glass of icy water are condensed water.water.

THE WATER CYCLETHE WATER CYCLEAKA: THE HYDROLOGIC CYCLEAKA: THE HYDROLOGIC CYCLE

ACCUMULUATION:ACCUMULUATION: Water pools in large bodies (oceans, Water pools in large bodies (oceans,

seas and lakes).seas and lakes). SEEPAGE:SEEPAGE:

Water entering the groundWater entering the ground RUN-OFF:RUN-OFF:

Water leaves land and enters a body of Water leaves land and enters a body of waterwater

NUTRIENTSNUTRIENTS

Nutrients are all the Nutrients are all the chemical substances that chemical substances that an organism requires to an organism requires to live.live.

NUTRIENTSNUTRIENTS

Nutrient cycles that play Nutrient cycles that play especially prominent roles especially prominent roles in the biosphere:in the biosphere:Carbon CycleCarbon CycleNitrogen CycleNitrogen CyclePhosphorus CyclePhosphorus Cycle

THE CARBON CYCLETHE CARBON CYCLE

Carbon is especially Carbon is especially important to living important to living systems because it is the systems because it is the key ingredient in all living key ingredient in all living organisms.organisms.

PROCESSES IN THE PROCESSES IN THE CARBON CYCLECARBON CYCLE

BIOLOGICAL PROCESSES:BIOLOGICAL PROCESSES:PhotosynthesisPhotosynthesisRespirationRespirationDecomposition of plants Decomposition of plants and animalsand animals

PROCESSES IN THE PROCESSES IN THE CARBON CYCLECARBON CYCLE

GEOCHEMICAL GEOCHEMICAL PROCESSES:PROCESSES:Release of carbon dioxide Release of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere by to the atmosphere by volcanoesvolcanoes

PROCESSES IN THE PROCESSES IN THE CARBON CYCLECARBON CYCLE

MIXED GEOCHEMICAL MIXED GEOCHEMICAL PROCESSES:PROCESSES:Burial of carbon-rich Burial of carbon-rich remains of organisms and remains of organisms and their conversion to fossil their conversion to fossil fuelsfuels

PROCESSES IN THE PROCESSES IN THE CARBON CYCLECARBON CYCLE

HUMAN ACTIVITY:HUMAN ACTIVITY:MiningMiningBurning fossil fuelsBurning fossil fuelsCutting/burning forestsCutting/burning forests

CARBON RESERVOIRSCARBON RESERVOIRS

In the atmosphere as gasIn the atmosphere as gas Dissolved in the oceansDissolved in the oceans Underground as coal, Underground as coal,

petroleum and calcium petroleum and calcium carbonate rockcarbonate rock

USING CARBON DIOXIDEUSING CARBON DIOXIDE

Animals release carbon Animals release carbon dioxide as a waste product dioxide as a waste product in cellular respiration.in cellular respiration.

Plants take in carbon Plants take in carbon dioxide to use for dioxide to use for photosynthesis.photosynthesis.

THE NITROGEN CYCLETHE NITROGEN CYCLE

Why do we need nitrogen?Why do we need nitrogen? Nitrogen is necessary for Nitrogen is necessary for

organisms to make amino organisms to make amino acids…acids…

……which are needed to build which are needed to build proteins!!!proteins!!!

NITROGEN RESERVOIRSNITROGEN RESERVOIRS

In the atmosphere as gasIn the atmosphere as gas78% of the air is N78% of the air is N22 gas gas

PROCESSES IN THE PROCESSES IN THE NITROGEN CYCLENITROGEN CYCLE

NITROGEN FIXATION:NITROGEN FIXATION: The process by which bacteria The process by which bacteria

convert nitrogen into ammonia convert nitrogen into ammonia (NH(NH33))

AMMONIFICATION:AMMONIFICATION: Decomposers return nitrogen Decomposers return nitrogen

gas (Ngas (N22) to the soil as ammonia ) to the soil as ammonia (NH(NH33))

PROCESSES IN THE PROCESSES IN THE NITROGEN CYCLENITROGEN CYCLE

NITRIFICATION:NITRIFICATION:The process by which some The process by which some

soil bacteria convert soil bacteria convert ammonia (NHammonia (NH33) into nitrates ) into nitrates

(NO(NO33))

PROCESSES IN THE PROCESSES IN THE NITROGEN CYCLENITROGEN CYCLE

DENITRIFICATION:DENITRIFICATION:The process by which some The process by which some

soil bacteria convert nitrates soil bacteria convert nitrates (NO(NO33) into nitrogen gas (N) into nitrogen gas (N22))

This process releases This process releases nitrogen into the atmosphere nitrogen into the atmosphere once again.once again.

The story of my fish tank…

AMMONIA (NHAMMONIA (NH33) is released ) is released through respiration & through respiration & excretionexcretion

Ammonia is very deadly in Ammonia is very deadly in high concentrations—so high concentrations—so enough fish producing enough fish producing ammonia in a small space ammonia in a small space (like an aquarium)…will kill (like an aquarium)…will kill the fish.the fish.

Well, this doesn’t have to happen…Well, this doesn’t have to happen…

Bacteria present in an aquarium Bacteria present in an aquarium will feed on ammonia producing will feed on ammonia producing nitrites…another bacteria will feed nitrites…another bacteria will feed on nitrites producing nitrates…on nitrites producing nitrates…

Nitrates are not nearly as harmful, Nitrates are not nearly as harmful, and much, much easier to control. and much, much easier to control. You would need OBSCENE You would need OBSCENE amounts for it to do any real amounts for it to do any real damage.damage.

THE PHOSPHORUS CYCLETHE PHOSPHORUS CYCLE

Why do we need Why do we need phosphorus?phosphorus?

Phosphorus is necessary Phosphorus is necessary for forming DNA and RNAfor forming DNA and RNA

THE PHOSPHORUS CYCLETHE PHOSPHORUS CYCLE

Phosphorus remains on land Phosphorus remains on land in rock/soil/ocean sedimentin rock/soil/ocean sediment

Phosphate is released as Phosphate is released as rocks/sediments break downrocks/sediments break down

Plants absorb the phosphate Plants absorb the phosphate from the soil or waterfrom the soil or water

The primary productivity of The primary productivity of an ecosystem is the rate at an ecosystem is the rate at which organic matter is which organic matter is created by producers.created by producers.

LIMITING NUTRIENTSLIMITING NUTRIENTS

A nutrient is “limited” when A nutrient is “limited” when an ecosystem is in short an ecosystem is in short supply of that nutrient…supply of that nutrient…

……this will limit an this will limit an organism’s growth.organism’s growth.

LIMITING NUTRIENTSLIMITING NUTRIENTS

Ocean and Ocean and saltwater saltwater environmentsenvironments

Streams, Streams, lakes and lakes and freshwater freshwater environmentsenvironments

NITROGENNITROGEN

PHOSPHORUSPHOSPHORUS

LIMITING NUTRIENTSLIMITING NUTRIENTS

A large input of a limiting A large input of a limiting nutrient (P or N) results in nutrient (P or N) results in an immediate increase in an immediate increase in the amount of algae and the amount of algae and other producers.other producers.

This is called an algal This is called an algal bloom.bloom.

ALGAL BLOOMSALGAL BLOOMS

Algal blooms occur Algal blooms occur because there are more because there are more nutrients available—and nutrients available—and therefore producers can therefore producers can grow and reproduce more grow and reproduce more quickly.quickly.

WHAT IS THE PROBLEM WHAT IS THE PROBLEM WITH ALGAL BLOOMS?WITH ALGAL BLOOMS?

The algae and other The algae and other producers cover the water producers cover the water and this cuts off the and this cuts off the sunlight to other plants and sunlight to other plants and animals and decreases the animals and decreases the amounts of oxygen.amounts of oxygen.