Biogeochemical Cycles Lesson

Anchoring Phenomena
This is a sealed
ecosystem that has
only been watered
ONCE, but has been
able to thrive for 50
years.
How is this
possible?
Review
❑ An ecosystem is all the living
organisms in a given area as
well as the abiotic factors with
which they interact.
❑ All of the organisms living on

Earth need energy to carry out
life processes such as growth,
movement, and reproduction.
❑ This energy starts with the sun.

Review
❑ Producers (autotrophs) rely on the sun’s energy, water, and
carbon dioxide to create glucose and oxygen (photosynthesis).
❑ Consumers (heterotrophs) use that oxygen and glucose and
place carbon dioxide and water back into the atmosphere.
Review
❑ Energy flows through an ecosystem from
the sun 🡪 producers 🡪 consumers 🡪decomposers
❑ Energy enters an
ecosystem in the form
of sunlight and exits
the ecosystem in the
form of heat.
❑ This energy cannot be

recycled.
Ecosystem Recycling
❑ Energy is crucial to an ecosystem, but
organisms need more than energy to
survive.
❑ The organisms in the ecosystem also need

nutrients (water, minerals, and other
compounds).
❑ For most organisms, more than 95% of the

body is made up of only four elements
-carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen.
❑ There is an abundant supply of these

elements on Earth, but they must be in a
form that living cells can absorb and use.
Ecosystem Recycling
❑ Energy and matter move through an ecosystem in very different
ways.
❑ Energy cannot be recycled; matter can be recycled between

ecosystems.
❑ Elements and compounds are

recycled in biogeochemical cycles.
❑ Biogeochemical cycle: the process

in which elements, chemical
compounds, and other forms of
matter are passed from one
organism to another and from one
part of the biosphere to another
Ecosystem Recycling
The Water Cycle The Carbon Cycle
The Nitrogen Cycle The Phosphorus Cycle

The Water Cycle
❑ Water is crucial to life (from the biosphere – the cell).
The Water Cycle
❑ At any given time, the water of earth can be found in the
following places:
1. bodies of water (oceans, lakes, rivers, etc.)
2. stored in the bodies of living organisms

3. in the atmosphere as clouds and water vapor
4. stored in underground formations as ground water
The movement of water between these various reservoirs is
known as the water cycle.
The Water Cycle
❑ Five processes account for the movement of water
molecules through the ecosystem:
1. evaporation
2. precipitation
3. transpiration
4. condensation
5. infiltration
Think-Pair-Share
❑ With your shoulder partner, discuss some ways that
humans might NEGATIVELY impact the water cycle.
Human
Impact
on the Water
Cycle
Link: https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/videos/353-earth-s-water-distribution
The Carbon Cycle
❑ Carbon is the key element of all
organic compounds (think
macromolecules).
❑ All of the carbohydrates, lipids,

proteins, and nucleic acids that
compose all living things contain
atoms of carbon.
❑ In order to build new organic

compounds for living cells, there
must be a constant and steady
supply of available carbon.
The Carbon Cycle
❑ Photosynthesis and cellular
respiration form the basis of
Photosynthesis
the carbon cycle. removes
carbon dioxide
❑ Carbon dioxide is removed from the
atmosphere.
from the atmosphere by
plants and used to build
molecules of glucose
(photosynthesis).
Cellular
❑ Cellular respiration (animals, respiration and
plants, fungi, and protists) decomposition
release carbon
returns carbon dioxide back dioxide.
to the atmosphere.
The Carbon Cycle
❑ There are other ways that carbon moves through an ecosystem:
• Geochemical processes,
such as erosion and
volcanic activity, release
carbon dioxide to the
atmosphere and oceans.
• Biogeochemical processes
cause dead organisms to
decay under pressure; their
bodies are converted into
fossil fuels. This stores
carbon underground.
The Carbon Cycle
• Human activities, such as
mining, cutting and burning
forests, and burning fossil
fuels, release carbon dioxide
into the atmosphere.
1. In the
atmosphere
carbon is
present in the
form of carbon
dioxide.
2. This carbon
dioxide is
released to the
atmosphere by
cellular
respiration,
volcanic activity,
the burning of
fossil fuels, and
by the
decomposition
of organic
matter.
3. Plants take in
the carbon
dioxide and use
combustion
it during
photosynthesis
to build
molecules of
glucose
(C6H12O6).
4. The glucose
(C6H12O6)
molecules and
other
carbohydrates
are used by
consumers.
fossilization
The Nitrogen Cycle
❑ All organisms must have nitrogen in
order to build proteins and nucleic
acids.
❑ Nitrogen is found in ammonia, the

bodies of dead plants and animals,
and in the wastes (both urine and
feces) of living organisms.
❑ Nitrogen gas makes up about 78% of

Earth’s atmosphere.
❑ However, most organisms do not

have the ability to make use of
atmospheric nitrogen.
So if
nitrogen
organisms
fixation
can’t use the
nitrogen
available in
the
atmosphere,
how do they
assimilation get the
nitrogen that
denitrification
they need?
ammonification
assimilation
The Nitrogen Cycle
❑ Nitrogen Fixation
• Soil-dwelling bacteria (and lightning) are able to
transform atmospheric nitrogen into a form that
other living cells can use.
• These bacteria take nitrogen from the air and

convert it into nitrates (NO3-).
• The nitrates are absorbed by the roots of plants.
• The nitrogen is then passed up the food chain.
The Nitrogen Cycle
Nitrogen
Fixation
Explained
Link: https://www.britannica.com/science/nitrogen-fixation
The Nitrogen Cycle
❑ Denitrification
• the opposite of nitrogen fixation
• the conversion of nitrates to nitrogen gas
• This nitrogen gas is released into the atmosphere.
The Nitrogen Cycle
❑ Ammonification
• the production of ammonia by bacteria during the
decay of nitrogen containing organic matter
• Soil bacteria convert waste products (decaying

organic matter/feces/urine) into ammonia (NH4).
The Nitrogen Cycle
❑ Nitrification
• the production of nitrates from ammonia
• Some of the ammonia in the soil is converted by
several kinds of bacteria to nitrates (NO3)- .
▪ These nitrates are absorbed from the soil by
plants.
The Nitrogen Cycle
❑ Assimilation
• The absorption and incorporation of nitrogen into
plant and animal compounds
• Ammonia and nitrates are picked up by plants.
• Plants use ammonia and nitrates to build proteins
and nucleic acids.
• When animals eat the plants, they use the
nitrogen to build their own proteins and nucleic
acids.
(NH4+)
(NO3-)
The Nitrogen Cycle
The Phosphorus Cycle
❑ Phosphorus is essential for all living organisms
because it is needed to build molecules of ATP
and the nucleotides that compose DNA and
RNA.
❑ Although phosphorus is of
great biological importance, it
is not very common in the
biosphere.
❑ Unlike the other essential

elements that are recycled,
such as carbon, nitrogen, and
oxygen, phosphorus does not
enter the atmosphere.
❑ Phosphates are usually present in
rocks and soil as calcium
phosphate.
❑ Calcium phosphate dissolves in

water to form inorganic phosphate
ions.
❑ As phosphates are released from

soil and rocks, it washes into
streams and rivers, eventually
making its way to the ocean where
it is used by marine organisms.
❑ Some phosphates remain on
land and cycle between
organisms and the soil.
❑ When plants absorb

phosphate from the soil or
from water, they bind the
phosphate into organic
compounds.
❑ The phosphate moves

through the food chain from
producers to consumers.
Human Impact
❑ Human activities have greatly
increased carbon dioxide levels
in the atmosphere and
nitrogen levels in the
biosphere.
❑ Altered biogeochemical cycles,

combined with climate change,
threaten biodiversity, food
security, human health, and
water quality, making them
increasingly vulnerable to
disruption in a changing
climate.
Human Impact- Carbon Cycle
❑ Our industrial society
depends on the energy that
comes from the burning of
fossil fuels such as oil, coal,
and natural gas.
❑ But the burning of these

fossil fuels increases the
amount of carbon dioxide
entering the atmosphere.
Image Credit: State of the Planet

Available at this website
Human Impact- Carbon Cycle
❑ Deforestation - the
decrease in trees means an
increase in the CO2 that’s
taken out of the
atmosphere.
Human Impact- Nitrogen/Phosphorus
❑ Burning fossil fuels, using
fertilizers, and other activities
can dramatically increase the
amount of biologically
available nitrogen &
phosphorus in an ecosystem.
❑ Nitrogen/phosphorus
availability often limits the
primary productivity of many
ecosystems and can lead to
severe alterations of the
nitrogen cycle/phosphorus
cycle in both aquatic and
terrestrial ecosystems.
Human Impact- Nitrogen Cycle
❑ One common
consequence of
increased nitrogen is an
increase in harmful algal
blooms (eutrophication).
❑ Toxic blooms of certain

types of dinoflagellates
have been associated
with high fish and
shellfish mortality in
some areas.
Revisiting our Phenomenon
Video Explanation:
https://youtu.be/5pnxuQr_5xc

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Anchoring Phenomena

❑ All of the organisms living on

❑ This energy starts with the sun.

❑ This energy cannot be

❑ The organisms in the ecosystem also need

❑ For most organisms, more than 95% of the

❑ There is an abundant supply of these

❑ Energy cannot be recycled; matter can be recycled between

❑ Elements and compounds are

❑ Biogeochemical cycle: the process

The Water Cycle The Carbon Cycle

The Nitrogen Cycle The Phosphorus Cycle

2. stored in the bodies of living organisms

❑ All of the carbohydrates, lipids,

❑ In order to build new organic

❑ Nitrogen is found in ammonia, the

❑ Nitrogen gas makes up about 78% of

❑ However, most organisms do not

• These bacteria take nitrogen from the air and

• Soil bacteria convert waste products (decaying

❑ Unlike the other essential

❑ Calcium phosphate dissolves in

❑ As phosphates are released from

❑ When plants absorb

❑ The phosphate moves

❑ Altered biogeochemical cycles,

❑ But the burning of these

Image Credit: State of the Planet

❑ Toxic blooms of certain

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