ASSIGNMENT - 1

NAME: HARIKET SUKESHKUMAR SHETH

REGISTER NO.: 20BLC1014
SUBJECT: ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
COURSE: CHY1002
SLOT: C2
FACULTY: SANGEETHA P
SUBMISSION DATE: 30th DECEMBER, 2020

CYCLING OF NUTRIENTS
Nitrogen Cycle and Carbon Cycle
ECOSYSTEM
An Ecosystem is a group of biotic communities of species interacting with one another and
their non-living environment exchanging energy and matter. It is an integrated unit consisting
of interacting plants, animals and micro-organisms whose survival depends upon the
maintenance and regulation of their biotic and abiotic structures and functions. The
ecosystems are thus a unit or system that are all directly or indirectly linked with each other.

➢ Functional Attributes of Ecosystem

• Trophic Structure, food chain and food web
• Energy Flow
• Ecosystem development and regulation
• Primary and Secondary Production
• Cycling of Nutrients

NUTRIENT CYCLING

A nutrient is basically a substance used by an organism to survive, grow and reproduce.

Nutrient is also an element or compound that promotes growth and health in living things.
Plants and animals absorb nutrients from gas or soluble salts. Nutrients are basically divided
into 2 broad categories: Macronutrients and Micronutrients.

MICRONUTRIENTS MACRONUTRIENTS
Iron (Fe) Carbon (C)
Chlorine (Cl) Oxygen (O)
Copper (Cu) Hydrogen (H)
Manganese (Mn) Nitrogen (N)
Zinc (Zn) Potassium (K)
Molybdenum (Mo) Calcium (Ca)
Boron (B) Phosphorus (P)
Nickel (Ni) Magnesium (Mg)
Sulphur (S)

Macronutrients: Macronutrients are those nutrients that the body needs in large amounts.
Micronutrients: Micronutrients are those nutrients that the body needs in comparatively lesser
amounts.
Nutrient Cycling is different from flow of energy in biosphere because in comparison to
nutrients, energy cannot be re-used whereas nutrients are reused. For example: The atoms of
carbon and nitrogen are cycled repeatedly between the atmosphere, biosphere, soil, oceans
and organisms. The circulation of nutrients, inorganic matter and organic matter from the
environment (mostly from soil and water) through organisms and back to the environment is
called NUTRIENT CYCLING. The earth has no other sources of getting the nutrients.
Hence, the nutrients are cycled indefinitely in environment. Nutrients like carbon, sulphur,
nitrogen and phosphorus move in circular paths through biotic and abiotic components and
therefore are also known as Biogeochemical cycles. Some examples of Nutrient Cycling are:
- Carbon Cycle, Sulphur Cycle, Nitrogen Cycle, Phosphorus Cycle, Hydrological Cycle,
Oxygen Cycle.

- Mostly organically bonded nutrients present in dead plants and animals are broken
down into inorganic substances by microbial decomposition which are then readily
used by primary producers again and the cycle goes on in similar way.

Carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, sulphur, etc. nutrients used in ecosystems by living
organisms are a part of a closed system; therefore, nutrients are recycled instead of being lost
and replenished constantly such as in an open system. Sun is the ultimate source of energy on
planet Earth in the form of light which is eventually used and lost in the form of heat by
various trophic levels of food webs and food chains. Carbohydrates, fats, and proteins are the
major sources of energy which humans receive from food. CO2 is released when these
compounds are oxidised and thereby used by the Autotrophs. They capture CO2 to make
organic compounds by a chemical reaction, which is triggered by the energy of the sunlight.

6 CO2 + 6 H2O C6H12O6 + 6 O2

Carbon Dioxide Hydrogen Glucose Oxygen

Sulphur is the source of energy in ecosystems where sunlight cannot reach such as the deep
oceans. Energy can be released through the oxidation & reduction of sulphur compounds.
E.g.: - Oxidizing sulphur (S) to sulphite (S2-) & then to sulphate (SO42-)). The chemical
composition of everything is fixed even though we receive energy from Sun. As we don’t
have any external source for nutrients, all processes that depend on these nutrients must be
recycled. These cycles include both the living biosphere and the non-living atmosphere,
hydrosphere and lithosphere.
CARBON CYCLE
Carbon is found and exchanged between the atmosphere, the ocean, plant biomass, and soil.
It is important that the balance of carbon dioxide is maintained for life. If there were no
carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, then photosynthetic organisms like plants would have no
source of carbon and would have died. But in many years, there has been changes in global
temperature because of changes in levels of atmospheric carbon.

Atmosphere: -
o Carbon exists in two major forms: carbon dioxide (CO2) & methane (CH4). These
gases absorb and retain heat in the atmosphere.
o Both CO2 and CH4 are responsible for Greenhouse Effect. CH4 is released because of
anaerobic respiration.
o CO2 being a greenhouse gas is responsible for trapping the infrared rays obtained
from sun rays’ incident on the earth’s surface and thereby maintaining the global
temperature. Removal of CO2 excessively will thereby cool the atmosphere below
normal levels. Thus, small-small changes in this cycle by secondary factors, humans
or natural factors can affect the climate adversely thereby determining the types of life
in various places.
o The linkage between photosynthesis in producers and aerobic respiration in
producers, consumers and decomposers circulates carbon in biosphere. Carbon
dioxide is removed through photosynthesis (autotrophs).
o Plants can release carbon into the soil via their roots called as exudation, or
by decomposition when the plants die / decay.

Chemical Reaction (Autotrophs): CO2 + H2O (CH2O)n + O2

Chemical Reaction (Decomposers): (CH2O)n + O2 CO2 + H2O

Oceans: -

o The oceans are the largest carbon reservoirs as they store 50 times more cycled carbon
than the atmosphere. Because oceans dissolve more than it releases (“Carbon Sink”)
o Carbon dioxide (CO2) dissolves directly into ocean, lakes, etc. When dissolved in
water, carbon dioxide reacts with water molecules and forms carbonic acid, which is
responsible for acidity of oceans. It is absorbed by rocks through weathering.
 H2O + CO2 H2CO3
Water Carbon Dioxide Carbonic Acid

o Water from the deep ocean comes to the surface and releases carbon dioxide into the
atmosphere. Carbon dioxide dissolve in cold water in higher latitudes. Once CO2
dissolves in ocean water, it sinks down and stays in deep ocean levels for years.
o To maintain equilibrium, Biological processes lead to ocean-atmosphere carbon
exchange. Even slight changes in levels of carbon in the atmosphere by human
factors, terrestrial producers or natural factors, is responsible for the carbon exchange
between ocean and atmosphere. If CO2 is removed below normal levels then ocean
releases Carbon into atmosphere as CO2 whereas if CO2 is excess in atmosphere, then
CO2 gets dissolved in water bodies (oceans, lakes, etc.).

Fossil Fuels & Volcanic Eruptions: -

o Burning of fossil fuels and cement production in this industrial era by humans
adversely affect the carbon dioxide levels.
o Volcanic eruptions very quickly release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

Geosphere: -

o 80% of the carbon stored in geosphere is limestone which is formed because of

calcium carbonate stored in the ocean (For Example: - shells of marine organisms.)
o Remaining 20% carbon in geosphere is formed through burial of terrestrial organisms
under high heat and pressure.

Geosphere

20%
Limestone

Kerogens

80%
 Carbon exchange
among living
Carbon Cycle BIOLOGICAL CARBON CYCLE
organisms

Carbon exchange
GEOLOGICAL CARBON CYCLE
through geological
processes

In the diagram Process Reservoir of Carbon

THE BIOLOGICAL CARBON CHAIN

• Carbon enters food webs and food chains through autotrophs. Mostly all autotrophs
such as plants and algae are photo-synthesizers.
 • Autotrophs capture CO2 from the air or bicarbonate ions (HCO3-) from the water and
convert them to organic compounds like glucose.
• Heterotrophs, or consumers such as humans, consume these organic compounds, and
the carbon is passed through food chains and webs.
• To release the energy autotrophs and heterotrophs break these compounds by cellular
respiration. In this process, carbon dioxide is released. Carbon dioxide is also
released when Decomposers break down dead organisms.

THE GEOLOGICAL CARBON CYCLE

• Geological Carbon cycle deals with Carbon that is stored for long periods of time in
the atmosphere, ocean sediments, rocks, fossil fuels, and Earth’s interior.
• There is equilibrium between the oceans (reservoirs of carbon) and atmosphere. If the
carbon dioxide Is removed excessively from the atmosphere, then ocean releases
carbon dioxide. Conversely, if the carbon dioxide is excessive in the atmosphere, then
it absorbs carbon dioxide.
• Carbon dioxide dissolves in water and reacts with water molecules.

CO2 + H2O ⇌ H2CO3 ⇌ HCO3− + H+ ⇌ CO32− + 2H+

Ca2+ combines with CO32- to form CaCO3, calcium carbonate is used by marine organisms to
make shells. Dead organisms form the sediment in the ocean, which turns into limestone.

• Carbon is stored in soil as organic carbon from the decomposition of living organisms
• Inorganic carbon from weathering of terrestrial rock and minerals.
• Fossil fuels are the remains of plants decomposed under anaerobic conditions. For
e.g., Oil. Coal and natural gas.
• Large amounts of carbon dioxide are released when humans burn the fossil fuels.
• Eruption of volcanoes are also responsible for contribution of carbon dioxide in the
atmosphere.

IMPACTS OF HUMANS ON CARBON CYCLE

 1. Industrial Revolution - The period between 1760 to 1820 is evident to have released
much CO2 emissions to the atmosphere.
2. Deforestation – because trees played a major role in maintaining a balance between
oxygen and carbon dioxide in nature. Deforestation has posed a negative effect.
3. Fossil Fuel consumption and extraction like consumption of Coal, crude oil and
natural gas have disrupted the carbon cycle
4. Production of synthetic chemicals - hinders the normal flow of carbon cycle
5. Increasing CO2 in atmosphere: - CO2 is increasing at an alarming rate in the
atmosphere. Approximately 0.4% increase per year
6. Greenhouse Effect and Global Warming- Heat captured by the atmosphere
• CO2 = 50% • CH4 = 20% • CFCs = 15% • NO2, H2O, O3 = 15%

NITROGEN CYCLE
• Nitrogen is a key component for all organisms in an ecosystem
• Nitrogen is a major component of proteins, vitamins and nucleic acids such as DNA.
• Despite its abundance in the atmosphere (79% of atmosphere), it is in very limited
supply. Because it is required by plants as ammonium (NH4+) or nitrate (NO3-).
• Nitrogen is a limiting nutrient in agriculture and nature.
• Also, N2 cannot be absorbed and used directly as a nutrient by plants or animals.
• When fertilizers containing nitrogen are carried in runoff to lakes and rivers, they
cause blooms of algae called as eutrophication.

MAJOR FORMS OF NITROGEN:

FORM OF NITROGEN FORMULA

Urea CO(NH2)2
Ammonia NH3
Ammonium NH4+
Nitrate NO3-
Nitrite NO2-
 Atmospheric Nitrogen (Dinitrogen) N2
Organic Nitrogen N

• As the nitrogen cannot be directly absorbed, two natural processes are responsible for
converting and fixing N2 into compounds that can be used as nutrients by plants and
animals.
1. Action of Bacteria: Bacteria convert atmospheric nitrogen (N2) into biologically
usable forms, which is known as nitrogen fixation.
For Example:
▪ Cyanobacteria play a key role in nitrogen fixation in aquatic
ecosystems.
▪ Free-living bacteria in the genus Azotobacter (Terrestrial Ecosystems)
▪ Rhizobium provide legume plants (peas, beans, and peanuts) with
fixed nitrogen by living symbiotically in the roots of legume plants.

Nitrogen-fixing microorganisms capture N2 by converting it to ammonia NH3 which

can be taken up by plants and used to make organic compounds, which are then
passed to animals when the plants are eaten. Which gets further broken down and
excreted as waste (urea).

2. Electrical Discharge or lightning: Lightning breaks nitrogen molecules which

combine with oxygen forming nitrogen oxides (mainly NO and NO2). These
oxides combine with rain water forming nitrates.

TERRESTRIAL NITROGEN CYCLE

Process Bacteria Explanation

Nitrogen form the atmosphere is taken and

Nitrogen Fixation • Azotobacter incorporated as NH3. Nitrogen fixation can also occur
• Rhizobium
as a result of lightening

• Nitrosomonas bacterium NH3 is converted into nitrate. Nitrites are formed by

Nitrification (Ammonia to Nitrite) oxidation of NH4+. Nitrites (NO2-) are converted into
• Nitrobacter nitrates. (NO3-)
 (Nitrites to Nitrates) 2NH4+ + 3O2 → 2NO2– + 4H+ + 2H2O
2NO2– + O2 → 2NO3–

• Rhizobia present in root Primary producers – plants take in the nitrogen

Assimilation hairs of some plants helps
assimilation of nitrogen
directly from nodules
compounds from the soil with the help of their roots,
which are available in the form of ammonia, nitrite
ions, nitrate ions or ammonium ions and are used in
the formation of the plant and animal proteins

When plants or animals die, the nitrogen present in the

• Bacteria
Ammonification organic matter is released back into the soil. The
• Fungi decomposers present in the soil, convert the
organic matter back into ammonium (NH4+)

• Clostridium Nitrogen compounds return into the atmosphere

Denitrification • Pseudomonas by converting nitrate (NO3-) into gaseous nitrogen (N).
• Paracoccus It occurs in the absence of oxygen.

1. Atmospheric nitrogen fixation - Nitrogen fixation is done by free-living or symbiotic

bacteria. Nitrogen fixation is a process where N2 is converted to ammonia / ammonium
(NH3/NH4+). Legumes have a bacteria Rhizobium that have the ability to fix nitrogen.
Ammonia produced by the nitrogen fixing bacteria is converted to other organic
nitrogen compounds.

2. Assimilation – Herbivore/Primary consumers assimilate their nitrogen compounds

from plants and it circulates in their body to make proteins. The nitrates in the soil are
absorbed by plants as mineral salts. Plants convert the inorganic nitrates to organic
proteins. The proteins from the plants enter the body of animals in the form of food.

3. Ammonification - When these animals die, decomposers such as bacteria and fungi
consume the organic matter where the nitrogen contained in the dead organism is
converted into ammonium compounds. The organic proteins undergo chemical
changes, by microorganisms, which convert the proteins back to inorganic nitrates. In
humans and animals, some proteins are broken down to ammonia and carbon dioxide,
 which forms urea and is excreted out in urine. Waste matter of animals and humans is
also treated by microorganisms to convert it into inorganic nitrates.

4. Nitrification - Biological conversion of ammonium in the soil to nitrate. The

compounds - ammonia and Ammonium are converted to nitrites (NO2-) with the help
of the bacteria ( Nitrosomonas ). These nitrites (NO2-) are highly toxic to plants and
animals. Thus, the nitrites (NO2-) are converted to nitrates (NO3-) by the bacteria
( Nitrobacter ). The nitrates can then be taken in by plants.

5. Denitrification - The conversion of nitrates (NO3-) to nitrogen gas, by the

denitrifying bacteria ( Clostridium, Pseudomonas, Paracoccus ). The denitrifying
bacteria uses NO3- instead of oxygen in their metabolic processes. The nitrogen gas is
then returned to the atmosphere. This process balances the nitrogen fixation process in
the ecosystem.

TERRESTRIAL NITROGEN CYCLE

Nitrogen
Nitrogen Cycle exchange on land

MARINE NITROGEN CYCLE

Nitrogen exchange
in water bodies
MARINE NITROGEN CYCLE

• Nitrogen Fixation- Nitrogen enters the water through the precipitation, runoff, or as
N2 from the atmosphere. Cyanobacteria plays a major role in nitrogen fixation
because of which Phytoplankton is able to use nitrogen for synthesis of organic
matter. Ammonia ( NH3 ) and urea ( CO(NH2)2 ) are released into the water by
excretion from Phytoplankton.

• Nitrification- Bacteria are able to convert ammonia to nitrite and nitrate. The
particular region of water bodies which receives sunlight is called euphotic zone. This
is for phytoplankton to perform photosynthesis. As the process of nitrification is
inhibited by light, hence it should occur below euphotic zone.

• Assimilation- Though Assimilation of Ammonium (NH4+) is preferred because it

doesn’t require a redox reaction unlike assimilation of nitrate (NO3-), phytoplankton
have adapted to have the enzymes necessary to assimilate nitrate (NO3-) only because
nitrate is more abundant than ammonium. Exceptions: Prochlorococcus and
some Synechococcus prefer to assimilate nitrogen as ammonium.

• Ammonification- Conversion of organic nitrogen to ammonia.

• Denitrification- Nitrogen N2 is returned to the atmosphere through denitrification.

IMPACTS OF HUMANS ON NITROGEN CYCLE

1. Nitrous oxide (N2O) is released excessively because of agricultural fertilization,

biomass burning, and industrial sources. N2O acts as a catalyst in the destruction of
atmospheric ozone.
2. Emission of NO2 which traps heat into the atmosphere
 3. Clearing Forests and burning grasslands after removal of nitrogen from top soil emits
nitrous oxides
4. When fuels are burnt, Nitric Oxide (NO) is released which further leads to acid rain
5. Rising global Industrialization have cause increased the generation of reactive
Nitrogen
6. According to the 2005 Millennium Ecosystem Assessment, human activities have
more than doubled the annual release of nitrogen from the land into the rest of the
environment.
7. Ammonia also is responsible for Acid Rain. It combines and form HNO3 (Nitric
Acid).
8. Increased Leaching through irrigation, harvesting biomass, fertilisers have removed
nitrogen excessively from earth’s crust
9. Overgrowth of algae because of runoff and sewage. Bacteria depletes the oxygen
dissolved in water thereby posing a threat to the marine species. Excessive depletion
of dissolved oxygen in water disrupts and reduces aquatic biodiversity.
10. Excessive levels of nitrogen in atmosphere promotes the growth of weedy plants
which thereby compete with other plants resulting in reduction of biodiversity.

EFFECTS OF INCREASED NITROGEN

1. Nutrients such as Calcium, Potassium are lost from the soil

2. Increased nitrogen leads to acidification of water bodies (lakes, etc.)
3. Greenhouse Effect and Ozone layer depletion because of increased Nitrogen oxides
in atmosphere.
4. Increased nitrogen levels promote growth of weeds and algae which further leads to
Eutrophication of lakes, ponds and streams.
5. Increasing nitrogen increases carbon fixation.
6. Increasing acidification increases weathering