CESCI 1

BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES
 Biogeochemical Cycles
Elements and inorganic compounds that sustain life tend to
circulate in the earth’s bioshere in regular paths from the
atmosphere to the lithosphere (soil) or hydrosphere
(water) into living things and then into those environments.
These are called biogeochemical cycles.
Thus, all the elements that function in animals or plants
follow some sort of cyclic plants.
Biogeochemical cycle emphasizes the global
interconnectedness of organisms (bio) and the rest of the
earth (geo). Different organisms, different habitats, and
different parts of the globe affect to be another through
the movement of these essential chemical events.
 The Hydrologic Cycle
Hydrological cycle or water cycle
collects, purifies, and distributes the
earth’s fixed supply of water.
Water passes through all of the great
spheres, carrying with it various
mineral substances, some of them
important nutrients for plants
animals. The same is true for
pollutants.
The main processes in this water
recycling and purifying are:
evaporation
condensation
transpiration
precipitation
runoff
infiltration
percolation
seepage
The Hydrologic Cycle
 The Hydrologic Cycle
Processes involve in water cycle:
1. Evaporation – conversion of water to water vapor
2. Condensation – conversion of water vapor to droplets of
liquid water
3. Precipitation – water condenses and returns to earth into
many forms:
– Rain – precipitation in the form of liquid drops
– Snow – condensation occurs in rising air that has
sub-freezing temperature
– Sleet – occurs in freezing temperature; frozen
rain
– Glaze – freezing rain
– Rime – freezing fog
 The Hydrologic Cycle
4. Transpiration – process which water, after being absorbed
by the root system of plants and passing through their
living structure, evaporates into the atmosphere as water
vapor.
5. Runoff – excess water that ultimately reaches the stream
channels
6. Infiltration – downward movement of water into the soil
through the soil surface
7. Percolation – downward movement of water within the
soil
8. Seepage – lateral movement of water within the soil
 2. Carbon – Oxygen Cycle
Absence of plant life which recycles carbon dioxide into
oxygen eventually results in harmful air quality.

The Carbon – Oxygen Cycle

Carbon dioxide in the air is When CO2 dissolves, some of it
taken up by plants and combine with water to form
used in photosynthesis. As carbonic acid. Bicarbonates
organic compounds are and carbonates may, in turn,
used by the plants be formed.
themselves, some carbon Materials that becomes
dioxide is returned to the incorporated in sediments
environment, but mush of probably returns to the
the carbon is retained in system slowly, but may be
the plants bodies. brought back into
Decomposers act on the dead circulation by geological
bodies of plants and processes such as volcanic
animals when they die and activities.
obtain the carbon from Carbon can also be released
those organisms. through burning of fossil
fuels.
 3. The Nitrogen Cycle
Plants use nitrogen in the production of proteins
and many other compounds.

Although the large supply of nitrogen in the air is not directly

available to plants, its presence facilitates
the global cycling of the element.
Most plants must take in nitrogen as
ammonia or nitrate.

Major sources of nitrogen-containing materials are wastes of

organisms and decomposition products
of dead animals and plants.
The Nitrogen Cycle
 4. Phosphorus Cycle
Unlike the carbon and nitrogen cycles, the phosphorus cycle
does not involve the atmosphere.
Natural processes such as weathering and erosion of rocks bring phosphate
minerals (found in rocks) into rivers that empty these into the sea
where marine algae absorb them.
From there, the food chain in the sea passes these to marine birds which
eventually drop the phosphorus-rich deposits (“guano”) on land. Some
of these are mined in certain areas
as fertilizers.
Phosphates which remain in the sea become sediments except if geological
events such as tsunamis raise these above sea level.
However, most soils contain only small amounts of phosphorus because
phosphate compounds are fairly insoluble in water and are found only
in certain kinds of rocks.
The Phosphorus Cycle