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PRINCIPLES OF ECOLOGY
(Nutrients & Biogeochemical Cycles)
NUTRIENTS & NUTRIENT CYCLING
• NUTRIENTS
elements (C, H, N, etc.) and simple inorganic
compounds of these elements (H2O, CO2, etc.)
that are essential for life
• FOODS
Organic compounds (contain carbon,
hydrogen, often oxygen, and sometimes other
elements) that organisms use to fuel their
metabolism. Foods would include lipids (fats
and oils) carbohydrates (sugars, starch, etc.),
proteins and other classes of organic
molecules as well.
Essential Minerals (Nutrients)
Major Elements Trace Elements
(= Macronutrients) (= Micronutrients)
Carbon (C) Nickle (Ni)
Hydrogen (H) Manganese (Mn)
Oxygen (O) Zinc (Zn)
Nitrogen (N) Molybdinum (Mo)
Phosphorus (P) Chlorine (Cl)
Calcium (Ca) Copper (Cu)
Potassium (K) Vanadium (V)
Sulfur (S) Silicon (Si)
Iron (Fe) Cobalt (Co),
Sodium (Na) Boron (B), Fluorine (F)
Magnesium (Mg) Iodine (I), Chromium (Cr)
Tin (Sn), Selenium (Se)
BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLES (I)
• The more or less circular paths of the chemical
elements passing back and forth between
organisms and environment are known as
Biogeochemical Cycles (also called Nutrient
Cycles).
• Sedimentary Cycles
– Calcium
– Phosphorus
– Sulfur
• Gaseous Cycles
– Nitrogen
– Carbon
GENERALIZED BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLE
NUTRIENTS IN PRECIPITATION
PPM
Open under Aspen under Pine
• Foliage Analysis:
– CaCO3 increases toward the glade
– Mn shows no correlation
– K & P tend to be deficient toward the glade
– N & Fe are strongly reduced toward the glade
SOIL pH STATIFICATION
• Leaching of calcium may lead to acid top strata
and more basic lower strata
• Can then find shallow-rooted acidophiles
growing next to calciphiles (that are deeper
rooted)
7 -- Thiobacillus bacteria
(aerobic sulfate oxidizers)
convert H2S to SO4
8 – INTERACTION of P & S
cycles: Phosphorus is
converted from the insoluble
ferric phosphate to a more
soluble form aiding the
cycling of Phosphorus
H2S + FePO4 H2PO4 +
FeS2
NITROGEN CYCLE (I)
NITROGEN CYCLE (II)
• N2 gas NH3 NO2 NO3
I IIa IIb