Community Ecology

MST 101a* | Environmental Science

Cycles of
Energy
  The matter (nutrients) that makes up organisms is conserved and recycled in
the ecosystem.
 There are six essential elements associated with organic molecules and may exist
in the atmosphere, on land, in water, or beneath Earth’s surface for long periods.
 This includes carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, and sulfur
which take a variety of chemical forms.
 The study of the different processes in the ecosystem is based on the concepts of
geology and chemistry.
Cycles of  Thus, the recycling of nutrients consisting of these six elements and the
influence in living organisms and their nonliving environment is called
Energy biogeochemical cycles.
 BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES
 are pathways for the transformation of matter within the Earth’s biosphere,
hydrosphere, lithosphere, and the atmosphere
 it links together all organisms and abiotic features on earth
 when living organisms die, the decaying matter disintegrates and transforms into
molecules/elements that enter the biogeochemical cycle

Biogeochemical
Cycles
 BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES
 these elements are transported in the biogeochemical cycles and have been
categorized as microelements and macro elements
 microelements are required by living organisms in smaller amounts like boron,
copper, and molybdenum
 on the other hand, the elements needed by living organisms in larger amounts
like carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorous, and sulfur are referred to
Biogeochemical as macro elements

Cycles
 IMPORTANCE OF BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES
1. They transform matter from one form to another and enable organisms to
utilize this matter in a specific form. For example, humans utilize water in liquid
form. Through the hydrological cycle, water vapor is condensed to liquid, and
ice converted to liquid water.
2. They transfer molecules from one locality to another. Some elements such as
nitrogen are highly concentrated in the atmosphere, but some of the
atmospheric nitrogen is transferred to soil through the nitrogen cycle.
Biogeochemical
Cycles
 IMPORTANCE OF BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES
3. They facilitate the storage of elements in their natural reservoirs and are
released to organisms in small consumable amounts. For example, nitrogen
is abundant in the atmosphere, yet green plants utilize this gas through the
nitrogen cycle and with the help of the nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
4. They assist in the functioning of ecosystems. Whenever any disruptions and
imbalances occur, the biogeochemical cycles restore to the equilibrium state of
the ecosystem. Though it may take a few days or many years, still, the
Biogeochemical disturbing factor is eliminated.
Cycles
 IMPORTANCE OF BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES
5. They link the biotic (living component) and the abiotic component of the
ecosystem with regards to the flow of nutrients engineered by the
biogeochemical cycles.
6. They regulate the flow of substances through a particular medium and the
rate at which elements flow in different spheres.

Biogeochemical
Cycles
 CARBON-OXYGEN CYCLE

Categories of
Biogeochemical
Cycles
 CARBON-OXYGEN CYCLE
 carbon is one of the most important elements that sustain life on earth and exists
in many forms
 carbon dioxide is an example of carbon-containing compounds which has a
substantial effect on earth's heat balance
 on the other hand, oxygen is important for respiration and combustion. The main
Categories of driving factor of carbon and oxygen and are usually linked through the carbon-
oxygen cycle
Biogeochemical  organisms are connected in many ways such as the exchange of carbon between
Cycles heterotrophs and autotrophs using atmospheric carbon dioxide
 Categories of
Biogeochemical
Cycles
 CARBON-OXYGEN CYCLE
 The atmosphere is a major reservoir of carbon in the form of carbon dioxide.
 Green plants utilize CO2 with the aid of sunlight in the process of photosynthesis.
 In the process, it converts the inorganic carbon into organic matter (sugar) and
releases oxygen in the atmosphere.

Categories of 6CO2 + 6H2O + sunlight → C6H12O6 (sugar) + 6O2

Biogeochemical
Cycles
 CARBON-OXYGEN CYCLE
 When a cow eats grass, it will get some of the organic molecules produced by the
plant’s photosynthesis.
 This implies that those organic compounds can be passed to higher trophic
levels.
 At each level, organisms are performing the respiration process. It is a metabolic
process in which organic molecules (food) is oxidized to release energy, CO2, and
Categories of water.
Biogeochemical C6H12O6 (sugar) + 6O2 → 6CO2 + 6H2O + Energy

Cycles
 CARBON-OXYGEN CYCLE
 As these organic molecules are broken down during respiration, the carbon once
again is released into the atmosphere as CO2.
 Moreover, the combustion process intensifies the concentration of CO2 in the
atmosphere.
 A very large amount of CO2 is released through forest fires, burning fossil fuels
Categories of and the like. Nowadays, the increase in CO2 emission causes global warming and
climate change.
Biogeochemical
Cycles
 WATER CYCLE (HYDROLOGIC CYCLE)

Categories of
Biogeochemical
Cycles
 WATER CYCLE (HYDROLOGIC CYCLE)
 Water is the most important chemical for all living organisms.
 It exists naturally into three states: solid, liquid, and gas. Water vapor in the
atmosphere condenses to liquid water and turns to ice when temperature is at
0°C.

Categories of
Biogeochemical
Cycles
 WATER CYCLE (HYDROLOGIC CYCLE)
 The main driving force of the water cycle is the energy coming from the sun
which warm bodies of water (oceans, surface, and frozen water).
 This leads to the process of evaporation (liquid water to water vapor) and
sublimation (ice to water vapor). Also, plants transpire (transpiration) huge
amounts of water into the atmosphere.
 These processes are responsible for large amounts of water into the atmosphere
Categories of as water vapor.
Biogeochemical
Cycles
 WATER CYCLE (HYDROLOGIC CYCLE)
 Over time, this water vapor condenses to form clouds and eventually leads to
precipitation (rain, snow, hail), where water falls from the atmosphere and
reaches the ground.
 Rain reaching Earth’s surface may evaporate again. Also, the most easily
observed is the flow of water through streams and lakes to the oceans (runoff);
and the flow of freshwater over land (surface runoff).
Categories of
Biogeochemical
Cycles
 WATER CYCLE (HYDROLOGIC CYCLE)
 Moreover, the rain may percolate into the ground. Percolation is the movement
of water though the soil layers by gravity and capillary forces. Groundwater is a
significant reservoir of fresh water.
 As such, the three basic locations of water storage are in the atmosphere, surface
water, and underground water.
Categories of
Biogeochemical
Cycles
 NITROGEN CYCLE

Categories of
Biogeochemical
Cycles
 NITROGEN CYCLE
 Nitrogen gas is the most abundant element in the atmosphere. It is an essential
component of protein and is required by all living organisms.
 It is difficult for living organisms to get nitrogen. Plants and phytoplankton are
not equipped to obtain nitrogen from the atmosphere.

Categories of
Biogeochemical
Cycles
 NITROGEN CYCLE
 Nitrogen enters the living world through certain species of bacteria that can
perform nitrogen fixation. Nitrogen Fixation is a process that involves the
conversion of gaseous nitrogen into Ammonia (NH3), and eventually to
ammonium (NH4+).
 Atmospheric nitrogen can be fixed by various methods such as atmospheric
fixation (Lightning), industrial fixation, and bacterial fixation (symbiotic bacteria -
Categories of Rhizobium and free-living - Azobacter and Cyanobacteria)
Biogeochemical
Cycles
 NITROGEN CYCLE

Categories of
Biogeochemical
Cycles
 NITROGEN CYCLE
 Ammonium is converted by bacteria into nitrites (NO2−) and then nitrates
(NO3−) in the process called Nitrification. Such bacteria include Nitrosomonas
Nitrococcus, and Nitrobacter. At this point, the nitrogen-containing molecules
are used by plants and converted into organic molecules such as DNA and
proteins.

Categories of
Biogeochemical
Cycles
 NITROGEN CYCLE
 When living organisms produce waste products (urea and uric acid), as well as
when they die, the nitrogen that enters living systems is eventually converted
back into inorganic ammonia (NH3) by certain bacteria. This process is called
ammonification.
 Eventually, bacteria convert it into nitrates and back into gaseous nitrogen in the
process of denitrification. This allows nitrogen gas to re-enter the atmosphere.
Categories of
Biogeochemical
Cycles
 NITROGEN CYCLE

Categories of
Biogeochemical
Cycles
 PHOSPHORUS CYCLE

Categories of
Biogeochemical
Cycles
 PHOSPHORUS CYCLE
 Phosphorus is a primary nutrient, in which large quantities are needed for
healthy plant growth.
 It is a major component of nucleic acids and other organic phosphorus
compounds.
 The phosphorus cycle does not involve the atmosphere and is the slowest one of
Categories of the sedimentary cycles.

Biogeochemical
Cycles
 PHOSPHORUS CYCLE
 Phosphorus occurs in nature as the phosphate ion (PO43-) from the weathering
of rocks. The phosphate percolates into the soil and is absorbed by plants.
 Phosphorous moves up the food chain as the animals eat the plants. When the
animals die, the decomposers obtain phosphorous as they feed on dead remains.
Thus, the phosphorous is eliminated through their waste and become a soil
then eventually a rock component.
Categories of
Biogeochemical
Cycles
 PHOSPHORUS CYCLE
 On the other hand, when a natural surface runoff occurs, phosphate-containing
rock is leached and sends phosphates into bodies of water. Phosphate-
containing ocean forms sediments through time.
 This sediment then is moved to land over geologic time by the uplifting of Earth’s
surface through volcanic eruptions and so on.

Categories of
Biogeochemical
Cycles
 Categories of
Biogeochemical
Cycles
 SULFUR CYCLE

Categories of
Biogeochemical
Cycles
 SULFUR CYCLE
 Sulfur in its natural form is solid, and limited to the sedimentary cycle in this form.
 It is transported by physical processes like wind, erosion by water, and geological
events like volcanic eruptions.
 However, in its compounds such as sulfur dioxide, sulfuric acid, salts of sulfate or
organic sulfur, sulfur can be moved from the ocean to the atmosphere, to land,
Categories of and then to the ocean through rainfall and rivers.

Biogeochemical
Cycles
 SULFUR CYCLE
 Atmospheric sulfur is in the form of sulfur dioxide (SO2). As rain falls, sulfur is
dissolved in liquid water forming a weak sulfuric acid (H2SO4). The process in
which sulfur falls directly from the atmosphere is called fallout.

Categories of
Biogeochemical
Cycles
 SULFUR CYCLE
 The sulfur-containing rain may fall into the ground and percolates deep within.
Plants absorb the sulfate ion through their roots and enter the food chain.
 When these plants decompose and die, decomposers break down organic sulfur
compounds to gases. Sulfur is released back into the atmosphere in the form of
hydrogen sulfide (H2S) gas.

Categories of
Biogeochemical
Cycles
 SULFUR CYCLE
 Also, sulfur-containing rocks weathered releases sulfur into the soil, and
eventually leached to the bodies of water. Most sulfur is bound up in rocks and
salts or buried in deep ocean sediments. These ocean sediments are moved to
land by the geologic uplifting.

Categories of
Biogeochemical
Cycles
 Categories of
Biogeochemical
Cycles
Wrap Up