The Importance of Biogeochemical Cycles

Name :Romario Reid
ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE
Carbon cycle
Carbon is an essential element for all life forms on Earth. Whether these life forms
take in carbon to help manufacture food or release carbon as part of respiration, the
intake and output of carbon is a component of all plant and animal life.
Carbon is in a constant state of movement from place to place. It is stored in what

are known as reservoirs, and it moves between these reservoirs through a variety of
processes, including photosynthesis, burning fossil fuels, and simply releasing
breath from the lungs. The movement of carbon from reservoir to reservoir is
known as the carbon cycle.
Carbon can be stored in a variety of reservoirs, including plants and animals, which
is why they are considered carbon life forms. Carbon is used by plants to build
leaves and stems, which are then digested by animals and used for cellular growth.
In the atmosphere, carbon is stored in the form of gases, such as carbon dioxide. It
is also stored in oceans, captured by many types of marine organisms. Some
organisms, such as clams or coral, use the carbon to form shells and skeletons.
Most of the carbon on the planet is contained within rocks, minerals, and other
sediment buried beneath the surface of the planet.
Because Earth is a closed system, the amount of carbon on the planet never
changes. However, the amount of carbon in a specific reservoir can change over
time as carbon moves from one reservoir to another. For example, some carbon in
the atmosphere might be captured by plants to make food during photosynthesis.
This carbon can then be ingested and stored in animals that eat the plants. When
the animals die, they decompose, and their remains become sediment, trapping the
stored carbon in layers that eventually turn into rock or minerals. Some of this
sediment might form fossil fuels, such as coal, oil, or natural gas, which release
carbon back into the atmosphere when the fuel is burned.
The carbon cycle is vital to life on Earth. Nature tends to keep carbon levels
balanced, meaning that the amount of carbon naturally released from reservoirs is
equal to the amount that is naturally absorbed by reservoirs. Maintaining this
carbon balance allows the planet to remain hospitable for life. Scientists believe
that humans have upset this balance by burning fossil fuels, which has added more
carbon to the atmosphere than usual and led to climate change and global warming.
Carbon is the chemical backbone of life on Earth. Carbon compounds regulate the
Earth’s temperature, make up the food that sustains us, and provide energy that
fuels our global economy.
Carbon is the lifeblood of Earth and is naturally regulated by the carbon cycle.
Without it, the Earth would be frozen.
The importance of carbon

Carbon is the basis of all life on Earth; we are made of carbon, we consume carbon
and our economies, our homes and our modes of transport are built on carbon.
Whether these life forms absorb carbon to help produce food or emit carbon as part
of respiration, the absorption and release of carbon is a key part of all plant and
animal life.
Carbon is the fourth most abundant element in the Universe. It exists on Earth in
solid, dissolved and gaseous forms. It’s a heat-trapping gas that’s produced both in
nature and by human activities.
Man-made carbon dioxide is derived from burning coal, natural gas and oil to
produce energy and comes from alkanes, the hydrocarbon chains that make up
fuels. Whereas biological carbon is in the air as CO2 and is used by
plants/photosynthetic organisms to create organic matter, which is then eventually
returned to the atmosphere as CO2.
Carbon has many benefits to our planet:
It helps to regulate Earth’s temperature

It makes all living life possible
It is a key element in the food that sustains us
It provides a key source of the energy that fuels our economy
However, the substantial build up of carbon and other greenhouse gases in the
atmosphere is trapping heat and contributing to climate change.
Importance of Nitrogen Cycle

The importance of the nitrogen cycle are as follows:
Helps plants to synthesize chlorophyll from the nitrogen compounds.

Helps in converting inert nitrogen gas into a usable form for the plants through the
biochemical process.
In the process of ammonification, the bacteria help in decomposing the animal and
plant matter, which indirectly helps to clean up the environment.
Nitrates and nitrites are released into the soil, which helps in enriching the soil with
the necessary nutrients required for cultivation.
Nitrogen is an integral component of the cell and it forms many crucial compounds
and important biomolecules.
Nitrogen is also cycled by human activities such as the combustion of fuels and the
use of nitrogen fertilizers. These processes increase the levels of
nitrogen-containing compounds in the atmosphere. The fertilisers containing
nitrogen are washed away in lakes, rivers and result in eutrophication.
Why Is Nitrogen Important?
The delicate balance of substances that is important for maintaining life is an
important area of research, and the balance of nitrogen in the environment is no
exception [2]. When plants lack nitrogen, they become yellowed, with stunted
growth, and produce smaller fruits and flowers. Farmers may add fertilizers
containing nitrogen to their crops, to increase crop growth. Without nitrogen
fertilizers, scientists estimate that we would lose up to one third of the crops we
rely on for food and other types of agriculture. But we need to know how much
nitrogen is necessary for plant growth, because too much can pollute waterways,
hurting aquatic life
Phosphorus cycle
The phosphorus cycle refers to the movement of phosphorus within and between
the biosphere, hydrosphere and geosphere. The phosphorus cycle matters because
phosphorus is an essential nutrient for sustaining life on Earth, where it plays a
central role in the transfer of energy within organisms, the structure of the genetic
material, and in the composition of cell membranes, bones and teeth. When other
resources such as light and water are abundant, ecosystem productivity and
biomass is often limited by the amount of available phosphorus. This is the primary
reason we mine phosphorus, which serves as an essential component of the
fertilizer used to enhance soil quality for agricultural activities.
Phosphorus is an important element for all living organisms. It forms a significant

part of the structural framework of DNA and RNA. They are also an important
component of ATP. Humans contain 80% of phosphorus in teeth and bones.
Phosphorus is an essential element for all living organisms which is a structural

component of ATP (adenosine triphosphate), a form of cellular energy as well as
DNA and RNA, which are the important life-sustaining molecules. The human
body has phosphorus in the form of bones and teeth that contribute 80% of the
phosphorus requirement. Phosphorus limits plant and animal growth due to its low
availability in soil and water bodies. It is found in phosphate ion form (PO43-) in
various compounds of soil, water, and rock sediments. Unlike other
biogeochemical cycles, phosphorus circulation through atmospheric changes is
very poor as the major reservoir of phosphorus is in sedimentary rocks. The
phosphorus of these rocks is gradually eroding, releasing phosphates to the
ecosystem or leaching into the sea where it is deposited in deep sediments.
The ratio of phosphorus to other elements in the organism is greater than the
available and primary sources of phosphorus. It is an ecologically more important
and limiting element that regulates productivity. Thus the phosphorus cycle is
known to be an important cycle of the ecosystem.
Why is the hydrologic cycle important?
The hydrologic cycle is important because it is how water reaches plants, animals
and us! Besides providing people, animals and plants with water, it also moves
things like nutrients, pathogens and sediment in and out of aquatic ecosystems.
The water cycle is an extremely important process because it enables the

availability of water for all living organisms and regulates weather patterns on our
planet. If water didn’t naturally recycle itself, we would run out of clean water,
which is essential to life.
The importance Of the water cycle :
The water cycle is extremely necessary to the living things on Earth, such as
animals, plants, and humans.
The water cycle provides water for humans so that they might use it for, drinking,
cooking, washing, cleaning, etc.
Plants conjointly facilitate animals to measure, however, the water cycle helps all.
The water cycle produces precipitation to form rivers, lakes, and even oceans.
Water is maybe the foremost necessary part of any scheme. All living organisms
want water to grow and live.

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Name :Romario Reid

Carbon is in a constant state of movement from place to place. It is stored in what

The importance of carbon

Carbon has many benefits to our planet:

It helps to regulate Earth’s temperature

Importance of Nitrogen Cycle

Helps plants to synthesize chlorophyll from the nitrogen compounds.

Phosphorus is an important element for all living organisms. It forms a significant

Phosphorus is an essential element for all living organisms which is a structural

The water cycle is an extremely important process because it enables the

The importance Of the water cycle :

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