Chapter 4

Biogeochemical Cycles

Objectives:
Identify

and describe the flow of nutrients in each biogeochemical cycle. Explain the impact that humans have on the biogeochemical cycles.

Chapter Overview Questions

What

happens to energy in an ecosystem? What happens to matter in an ecosystem?

What Sustains Life on Earth?

Solar

energy, the cycling of matter, and gravity sustain the earths life.

Figure 3-7

Two Secrets of Survival: Energy Flow and Matter Recycle

An

ecosystem survives by a combination of energy flow and matter recycling.

Figure 3-14

MATTER CYCLING IN ECOSYSTEMS

Nutrient

Cycles: Global Recycling

Global Cycles recycle nutrients through the earths air, land, water, and living organisms. Nutrients are the elements and compounds that organisms need to live, grow, and reproduce. Biogeochemical cycles move these substances through air, water, soil, rock and living organisms.

Objectives:
Identify

and describe the flow of nutrients in each biogeochemical cycle. Explain the impact that humans have on the biogeochemical cycles.

Water Unique Properties

There

are strong forces of attraction between molecules of water. Water exists as a liquid over a wide temperature range. Liquid water changes temperature slowly. It takes a large amount of energy for water to evaporate. Liquid water can dissolve a variety of compounds. Water expands when it freezes.

Rain clouds

Condensation Transpiration Evaporation Transpiration

from plants Surface runoff (rapid) Evaporation from land Evaporation from ocean

Precipitation to land

Precipitation
Runoff

Precipitation
Precipitation to ocean

Infiltration and Percolation

Groundwater movement (slow)

Surface runoff (rapid) Ocean storage

Fig. 3-26, p. 72

Effects of Human Activities on Water Cycle

We

alter the water cycle by:

Withdrawing large amounts of freshwater. Clearing vegetation and eroding soils. Polluting surface and underground water. Contributing to climate change.

Objectives:
Identify

and describe the flow of nutrients in each biogeochemical cycle. Explain the impact that humans have on the biogeochemical cycles.

What Sustains Life on Earth?

Solar

energy, the cycling of matter, and gravity sustain the earths life.

Figure 3-7

Fig. 3-27, pp. 72-73

Effects of Human Activities on Carbon Cycle

We

alter the carbon cycle by adding excess CO2 to the atmosphere through:

Burning fossil fuels. Clearing vegetation faster than it is replaced.

Figure 3-28

Objectives:
Identify

and describe the flow of nutrients in each biogeochemical cycle. Explain the impact that humans have on the biogeochemical cycles.

What Sustains Life on Earth?

Solar energy, the cycling of matter, and gravity sustain the earths life.

Figure 3-7

Effects of Human Activities on the Nitrogen Cycle

We

alter the nitrogen cycle by:

Adding gases that contribute to acid rain. Adding nitrous oxide to the atmosphere through farming practices which can warm the atmosphere and deplete ozone. Contaminating ground water from nitrate ions in inorganic fertilizers. Releasing nitrogen into the troposphere through deforestation.

Effects of Human Activities on the Nitrogen Cycle

Human

activities

such as production of fertilizers now fix more nitrogen than all natural sources combined.
Figure 3-30

Objectives:
Identify

and describe the flow of nutrients in each biogeochemical cycle. Explain the impact that humans have on the biogeochemical cycles.

What Sustains Life on Earth?

Solar energy, the cycling of matter, and gravity sustain the earths life.

Figure 3-7

mining excretion Guano

Fertilizer agriculture

uptake by uptake by weathering autotrophs autotrophs leaching, runoff Dissolved Land Marine Dissolved in Soil Water, Food Food in Ocean Lakes, Rivers Webs Webs Water death, death, decomposition decomposition weathering sedimentation settling out uplifting over geologic time Rocks Marine Sediments

Fig. 3-31, p. 77

Effects of Human Activities on the Phosphorous Cycle

We

remove large amounts of phosphate from the earth to make fertilizer. We reduce phosphorous in tropical soils by clearing forests. We add excess phosphates to aquatic systems from runoff of animal wastes and fertilizers.

Objectives:
Identify

and describe the flow of nutrients in each biogeochemical cycle. Explain the impact that humans have on the biogeochemical cycles.

What Sustains Life on Earth?

Solar

energy, the cycling of matter, and gravity sustain the earths life.

Figure 3-7

Sulfur trioxide Oxygen Sulfur dioxide

Water

Sulfuric acid Ammonia Ammonium sulfate

Acidic fog and precipitation

Hydrogen sulfide Plants

Dimethyl sulfide

Volcano Industries Animals

Ocean Sulfate salts Metallic sulfide deposits Decaying matter Hydrogen sulfide Sulfur

Fig. 3-32, p. 78

Effects of Human Activities on the Sulfur Cycle

We

add sulfur dioxide to the atmosphere by:

Burning coal and oil Refining sulfur containing petroleum. Convert sulfur-containing metallic ores into free metals such as copper, lead, and zinc releasing sulfur dioxide into the environment.

The Gaia Hypothesis: Is the Earth Alive?

Some

have proposed that the earths various forms of life control or at least influence its chemical cycles and other earth-sustaining processes.

The strong Gaia hypothesis: life controls the earths life-sustaining processes. The weak Gaia hypothesis: life influences the earths life-sustaining processes.

What do you think?

Does

life on earth control earths lifesustaining processes or does life merely influence these life-sustaining process?

FRQ Format.

Objectives:
Identify

and describe the flow of nutrients in each biogeochemical cycle. Explain the impact that humans have on the biogeochemical cycles.