ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE ASSIGNMENT # 2

IMPACTS OF ANTHROPOGENIC ACTIVITIES ON

BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES

SUBMITTED TO: Ma’am Gulzareen Ghafoor

SUBMITTED BY: Mishal Idrees
ROLL #: 0127-BH-BOT-20
BSC HONORS 2ND SEMESTER

GOVERNMENT COLLEGE UNIVERSITY LAHORE

 TABLE OF CONTENTS

 Impact of Anthropogenic activities on Biogeochemical Cycle

 Biogeochemical Cycle
 Anthropogenic activities

 EFFECT ON CARBON CYCLE

 Effect on Nitrogen Cycle
 Effect on Sulphur Cycle
 Effect on Water Cycle
 Effect on Phosphorus Cycle
 Conclusion
Question:
IMPACTS OF ANTHROPOGENIC ACTIVITIES ON
BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES:
Answer:
Anthropogenic activities are the human activities that have severe effect on the environment
and the nature. For example the atmosphere contains gases like carbon and nitrogen. The
human activities have increased trace amount of gases in the atmosphere not directly
affecting their concentration.
The increase of anthropogenic activities resulted after the 18 th century one the use of lands
and foods and energy increase. The increase of these anthropogenic activities is also due to
the increase of human population.

BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES:
The natural passage in which all the essential elements present or transferred from one
sphere to the other sphere. There are four different type of spheres. Atmosphere, Biosphere,
Lithosphere and Hydrosphere [1].
 Atmosphere contains gases
 Biosphere include all forms of life
 Lithosphere includes soil surface
 Hydrosphere include the aquatic regions.
These all spheres are involved in biogeochemical cycle. They are important elements that are
very essential for the growth and survival of the living organisms and for the maintenance of
the earth. These are carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, water and Sulphur.
 The elements are said to be the most important elements for life. These all elements
transfer from one spare to another for the need of organisms and the environment.
These elements have their own cycles which are known as
 Water cycle
 Phosphorus cycle
 Nitrogen cycle
 Carbon cycle
 Sulphur cycle
They helped in the maintenance of ecosystem and for the use of energy in different forms
they revolve from one sphere to another sphere.
Anthropogenic activities have greatly affected the cycle of these essential elements.
Disturbance to these cycles means affecting the climate and temperature indirectly.
IMPACTS OF ANTHROPOGENIC ACTIVITIES:
Human activities have severe effect on natural system of the earth causing the slow and
steady destruction of these essential cycles.
Anthropogenic activities have disturbed the natural cycle of the most important element. Due
to increase in the population and needs of the population these elements and materials are
cycle from one sphere to another are, extracted in a great concentration from the source.

EFFECT ON CARBON CYCLE:

The earth has an elegant cycle of life known as carbon cycle which is important for plants
and microorganisms. Plants and microorganisms absorbs carbon from the atmosphere and
used energy from the sunlight to convert carbon into Oxygen and sugar. This sugar is then
used for the growth of plants. When the plants grow they emit carbon back into the
atmosphere. Bacteria and other animals breathe out carbon. These animals die and end up in
the ground [2].
Same is happen in the water bodies. Plankton and Coral need carbon in order to survive. In
order to obtain carbon they absorb it from the water as the water absorbs carbon from the
atmosphere. The rainfall grab some carbon from the atmosphere and rocks and flow down in
the ocean. Where the Coral and plankton use this carbon for growth. Planktons and Coral die
too.
Some of the carbon come back to the environment but some stays in the ground when the
higher pressure and temperature occurs in the ground it causes the carbon which is trap in
rocks in dead materials to emit. With the passage of time that trap carbon is released in the
atmosphere by volcanos eruption to restart the carbon cycle. But in case of Dead animals and
plants, they do not turn into rocks. Their decaying process is also not fast enough and they
turn into fossil fuels like coal natural gas and petroleum and thus the carbon remain stuck in
the ground. This is the elegant carbon cycle system.
Carbon plays a very important role to keep some of the heat from leaving Earth this
maintaining the stable temperature.
By human activities carbon cycle is greatly disturbed causing a global change and adding too
much carbon in the environment by human activities makes the earth more and more one day
by day because the heat that was supposed to exit from the Earth bounce back.
Carbon cycle is one of the most essential cycle in nature which is affected badly by human
activities. The processes like deforestation and fossil fuel combustion effects carbon cycle.
As a result the concentration of carbon in the atmosphere is increasing day by day resulting in
the high temperature of Earth.
EFFECTS OF DEFORESTATION:
A process of cutting down trees and plants to clean the area for the agricultural use or to
make houses. Removal of plants and trees from the environment is directly affecting the
cycle of carbon which reserves in the higher concentration of carbon in the atmosphere
because plants absorb carbon from the atmosphere to decrease its consideration and to make
food. Death of plants also causes the release of carbon in the atmosphere but deforestation
plays a role of blockage to the natural cycle of carbon.
EFFECT OF BURNING OF FOSSIL FUELS:
The burning of coal and petroleum and oil is the cause of emission of carbon in a higher
concentration in the atmosphere. These fossil fuels are used in vehicles and industries which
can result in the release of carbon thus increasing the concentration of carbon in the
atmosphere day by day.

EFFECT ON NITROGEN CYCLE:

Nitrogen, which is an important element for the genetic makeup of any organism. It is also
essential for the growth of plants. Our atmosphere contains about 97% of nitrogen.
Nitrogen moves from one sphere to another sphere in different forms. This movement of
nitrogen is known as nitrogen cycle.
Nitrogen present in the atmosphere cannot be used in this present form there are certain
bacteria known as nitrogen fixing bacteria which convert this form of nitrogen into usable
form, so that plants can get that nitrogen. When nitrogen is taken up by plants the consumers
consume the plants when plants and animals both are die, they decompose and release
nitrogen gas or nitrogen dioxide gas back in the atmosphere or it may production ammonium
ions. The nitrogen dioxide is also a greenhouse gas which results in the climate change. This

is the nitrogen cycle.

The nitrogen cycle has several steps which involves
 fixation
 Ammonification
 nitrification
 assimilation
 denitrification[3]

EFFECTS OF EXCESSIVE USE OF FERTILIZERS:

The chemical fertilizers used by human for the better production of crops and for the better
production of wheels also have side effects. These fertilizers are used in the excess amount
and when these fertilizers are added in the soil they disturb the nitrogen cycling process as
nitrogen is also present in the soil.
Eutrophication is the process when these fertilizers runoff into lakes and rivers and streams
with the enrichment of nutrients and cause excessive growth of algae on water, not only
affecting the life of aquatic organisms but also results in the blockage of nitrogen cycle in the
environment.
EFFECT OF FOSSIL FUELS COMBUSTION:
The combustion of fossil fuels also play a role in affecting the cycle of nitrogen. The burning
of fossil fuels reserved in the release of oxides of nitrogen directly in the atmosphere which
then reserves in the smog and acid rain. The oxides of nitrogen are the nitrogen related
elements which when released in the natural system of Earth by anthropogenic activities, they
affect the natural nitrogen balance [4].
When fossil fuels are burning release oxides of nitrogen in the atmosphere not only affecting
our ecosystem but also have impacts on the diversity. Because the addition of release oxides
of nitrogen affects the balance of natural nitrogen present in the environment. It will also
affect all living organisms as living organisms genetic makeup is made of nitrogen [5].

EFFECT ON SULPHURIC CYCLE:

Just like other elements Sulphur is also and other important element which is essential for the
better functioning of enzymes and proteins present in the living organisms, which are
dependent on Sulphur. They take Sulphur to maintain their health. Human activities have
disturb Sulphur cycle by burning fossil fuels specially the coal because they release large
concentration of hydrogen Sulphur in the atmosphere.
Not only unbalancing the natural Sulphur cycle but also initiating the process of acid rain. As
the rain passes through this Sulphur present in the atmosphere changing its nature into acidic
rain [6].
EFFECT BY PETROLEUM PURIFICATION:
The purification of petroleum involves the release of Sulphur dioxide and sulphuric acid
directly in the atmosphere. The Sulphur produced in the refining is sold in the markets which
is then used to make sulphuric acid also affecting the Natural Sulphur cycle working.

EFFECT ON WATER CYCLE:

The water moves within the four spheres of Earth. The water cycle is also known as
hydrological cycle, it is the most important cycle need for the survival of the entire living
organisms and for the maintenance of earth. Excessive use of water and runoff of industrial
waste into rivers, lakes have affected the water by polluting it and causing the disturbance in
the water cycle.
EXCESSIVE USE OF WATER:
The water is in the excessive use is greatly damaging the water cycle. Excessive use of water
for various purposes like drinking, laundering, forming and even for the industrial purposes
had a greater impact on the water cycle, not only this but the wastes of industries into the
water and lakes also affect the freshwater and affecting the hydrological cycle.

EFFECT OF GREENHOUSE GASES ON HYDROLOGICAL CYCLE:

Water cycle is affected by greenhouse gases as these gases are produced when the fossil fuels
are burned. The burning of fossil fuels for the production of energy of different forms and
electricity results in the increase of temperature which then causes evaporation of water from
plants rivers and even from lakes. The increase in the temperature means the melting of
glaciers early, making the water level high in the oceans, which may cause blood and thus
disturbing the hydrological cycle.

EFFECT ON PHOSPHORUS CYCLE:

The transfer of the most essential element phosphorus through all this appears of earth that is
lithosphere hydrosphere biosphere and atmosphere. Phosphorus is an essential element to
make proteins which are important for growth and it helps to repair body cells and tissues. In
plant it is good for the growth of roots and it also have to transfer the energy for the
reproduction and growth, which was produced during the process of photosynthesis. Human
activities have also disturb the cycle of phosphorus the excessive use of phosphorus also
disturb the natural phosphorus balance.

EFFECT BY THE USE OF DETERGENTS AND CHEMICALS:

The chemicals and detergents used often contains sodium tripolyphosphate having phosphate
in it. The run of these chemicals and detergents and chemicals in the rivers lakes will increase
the concentration of phosphorus in the water and it will be threatening to the organisms living
in the water.
EFFECT BY THE DEFORESTATION PROCESS:
Cutting down of trees and plant cause this loss of base from the soil, which turn the soil
nature into acidic. The nutrients which are essential for the growth and Reproduction of
plants like the ammonium and phosphate are lost due to the cutting down of trees and plants.
This results in the plants having low nutrients consideration which are little durable to life.

CONCLUSION:
Biogeochemical cycles are the most important cycles to maintain the normal functioning of
the planet Earth. If these cycles are disturbed then the result is the destruction of our natural
system. The only way is to slow down the steady destruction of the natural cycle is do
minimize the use of chemicals detergents and especially the carbon producing things. This
will help us to heal our natural environment and it will maintain the normal cycle of all the
essential elements. We cannot just stop the use of forcing fuse but we can minimize your
needs in order to help the environment to stable and heal itself again.

REFERENCES:
[1] https://en.m.wikipedia.org
[2] https://oceanservice.noaa.gov
[3] https://sciencing.com
[4] https://courses.lumenlearning.com
[5] https://courses.lumenlearning.com
[6] https://sciencing.com
[7] https://courses.lumenlearning.com

The End