biogeochemical cycles

• biogeochemical cycles are responsible for: important chemicals for life, water amd macro nutrients (n,p,k,c) life needs them to survive
• biogeochemical cycles are the movement of important chemicals through different stores in the biosphere, atmosphere and lithosphere.
• the presence of life interacts with these cyles and helps make important chemicals more available to other life
• the hydrological cycle is the movement of water through evaporation from water sources to clouds (condensation) then precipitation onto land. the water runs off the land back to the ocean or is taken up by plants in the transpiartion stream.
• the carbon cycle is the process in which carbon travels continuously from the atmosphere to the earth and back again.
• processes in the carbon cycle inlude: photosynthesis, respiration, decomposition,combustion, fossilization and dizzolving.
• carbon is removed from the atmosphere by photosynthesis to terrestrial biomass (organic carbon). carbon moves from TBM to the soil (dead organic matter) by death and excretion. carbon is transferred back to the atmosphere by combustion and respiration of decomposers. TBM to atmosphere is respiration and combustion.
• the nitrogen cycle is the series of processes by which nitrogen and its compounds are interconverted in the environment and in living organisms
• nitrogen fixation is when bacteria convert n2 into organic compounds that organisms take up
• ammonification is bacteria and fungi converting n2 into ammonium ions
• nitrification is when bacteria convert nh4+ ions into nitrite ions, then convert nitrite ions into nitrate
• denitrification is when bacteria convert nitrate ions into nitrogen gas
• assimilation is organisms absorbing nitogen through their roots
• nitrogen fixing bacteria (azotobacteria) convert n2 to ammonia
• nitrifying bacteria (nitrobacter- convert ammonia into nitrites) ( nitrosomonas- convert nitrites to nitrates)