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Biogeochemical Cycle

The document provides instructions for an activity to create diagrams of four important biogeochemical cycles: the nitrogen cycle, carbon cycle, phosphorus cycle, and water cycle. It includes descriptions of each cycle's key processes, reactants, and byproducts to help inform the diagrams. Students are asked to not copy diagrams but make their own and prepare to discuss them.

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Rinchel Obusan
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174 views6 pages

Biogeochemical Cycle

The document provides instructions for an activity to create diagrams of four important biogeochemical cycles: the nitrogen cycle, carbon cycle, phosphorus cycle, and water cycle. It includes descriptions of each cycle's key processes, reactants, and byproducts to help inform the diagrams. Students are asked to not copy diagrams but make their own and prepare to discuss them.

Uploaded by

Rinchel Obusan
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Activity 3

Biogeochemical Cycle 
Instructions:
Create your own diagram of the four most important biogeochemical cycles or nutrient cycles on
earth showing the different processes, its reactants and by products. 

Note: Do not copy. Make your own. Prepare for a discussion of your diagram. 
          Thank you.

1. Nitrogen cycle
One of the most important nutrient cycles found in terrestrial ecosystems. Nitrogen
cycle refers to the movement of nitrogen across different reservoirs, including living organisms,
in different forms via chemical processes. Nitrogen as an essential constituent of DNA, RNA, and
proteins is required for all organisms.
-Atmospheric Nitrogen cannot be used directly by plants and animals.
-Nitrogen needs to get converted to nitrogenous compound.
-This process called Nitrogen fixation.

Nitrogen Cycle Steps


- Rhizobium bacteria needs to convert nitrogen to ammonia.
- Nitrifying bacteria needs to convert ammonia to nitrates (NO2) to nitrates (NO3).
- Plants take these nitrates from the soil.
- Plants use these nitrates to make proteins.
- Animals eat plants to get proteins.
- Dead plants and animal excreta contain nitrogenous wastes.
- Overtime, these wastes decay and ammonia is released.
- Ammonia again gets converted to Nitrates (NO3).
- Some Nitrates are again used by plants.
- Denitrifying bacteria will convert nitrates back to atmospheric nitrogen. Hence, the
percentage in air are remains constant.
- Nitrogen Fixation can also occur by lightning strikes and produce Nitrogenous
compound.

2. Carbon Cycle
The biogeochemical cycle by which carbon is exchanged among the biosphere,
pedosphere, geosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere of the Earth. Carbon is the main
component of biological compounds as well as a major component of many minerals such as
limestone.

Carbon Cycle Steps


Following are the major steps involved in the process of the carbon cycle:

1. Carbon present in the atmosphere is absorbed by plants for photosynthesis.


2. These plants are then consumed by animals and carbon gets bioaccumulated into their
bodies.
3. These animals and plants eventually die, and upon decomposing, carbon is released
back into the atmosphere.
4. Some of the carbon that is not released back into the atmosphere eventually become
fossil fuels.
5. These fossil fuels are then used for man-made activities, which pumps more carbon
back into the atmosphere.

3. Phosphorus Cycle
The biogeochemical cycle that describes the movement of phosphorus through the lithosphere,
hydrosphere, and biosphere. On the land, phosphorus gradually becomes less available to plants over
thousands of years, since it is slowly lost in runoff.

Steps of Phosphorus Cycle


Weathering
Since the main source of phosphorus is found in rocks, the first step of the phosphorus
cycle involves the extraction of phosphorus from the rocks by weathering. Weather events,
such as rain and other sources of erosion, result in phosphorus being washed into the soil.
Absorption by Plants and Animals
Once in the soil, plants, fungi, and microorganisms are able to absorb phosphorus and
grow. In addition, phosphorus can also be washed into the local water systems. Plants can also
directly absorb phosphorus from the water and grow. In addition to plants, animals also obtain
phosphorus from drinking water and eating plants.
Return to the Environment via Decomposition
When plants and animals die, decomposition results in the return of phosphorus back to
the environment via the water or soil. Plants and animals in these environments can then use
this phosphorus, and step 2 of the cycle is repeated.

4. Water cycle
Water cycle, also known as the hydrologic cycle, involves a series of stages that show the
continuous movement and interchange of water between its three phases – solid, liquid, and gas, in the
earth’s atmosphere. The sun acts as the primary source of energy that powers the water cycle on earth

Water Cycle Process


1. Change from Liquid to Gaseous Phase – Evaporation and Transpiration

The heat of the sun causes water from the surface of water bodies such as oceans, streams, and
lakes to evaporate into water vapor in the atmosphere. Plants also contribute to the water
cycle when water gets evaporated from the aerial parts of the plant, such as leaves and stems
by the process of transpiration.

2. Change from Solid to Gaseous Phase – Sublimation

Due to dry winds, low humidity, and low air pressure, snow present on the mountains change
directly into water vapor, bypassing the liquid phase by a process known as sublimation.

3. Change from Gaseous to Liquid Phase – Condensation

The invisible water vapor formed through evaporation, transpiration, and sublimation rises
through the atmosphere, while cool air rushes to take its place. This is the process of
condensation that allows water vapor to transform back into liquid, which is then stored in the
form of clouds.

Sometimes, a sudden drop in atmospheric temperature helps the water vapors to condense
into tiny droplets of water that remain suspended in the air. These suspended water droplets
get mixed with bits of dust in the air, resulting in fog.

4. Change from Gaseous to Liquid and Solid Phase – Precipitation and Deposition         

Wind movements cause the water-laden clouds to collide and fall back on the earth’s surface
through precipitation, simply known as rain. The water that evaporated in the first stage thus
returns into different water bodies on the earth’s surface, including the ocean, rivers, ponds,
and lakes. In regions with extremely cold climate with sub-zero temperatures, the water vapor
changes directly into frost and snow bypassing the liquid phase, causing snowfall in high
altitudes by a process known as the deposition. 

5. Return of the water back into the underground reserve – Runoff, Infiltration, Percolation,
and Collection

The water that falls back on the earth’s surface moves between the layers of soil and rocks and
is accumulated as the underground water reserves known as aquifers. This process is further
assisted by earthquakes, which help the underground water to reach the mantle of the earth.
Some amount of precipitated water flows down the sides of mountains and hills to reach the
water bodies, which again evaporates into the atmosphere. During volcanic eruptions, the
underground water returns to the surface of the earth, where it mixes with the surface water
bodies in order to continue the cycle.

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