Nutrient Cycling

The Carbon Cycle briefly:

Has stores of carbon which hold the carbon

Atmosphere

Soil and lithosphere (fossil fuels)

Vegetation

Oceans

Carbon is TRANSFERRED between stores

By respiration and photosynthesis

Plants are eaten and die

Decomposers

Burning of fossil fuels

Nutrient cycling Key terms: Nutrient cycle Biomass Soil Litter May 29, 2009

Recycling of nutrients

Ecosystems cycle nutrientd as well as transferring food energy

Two types:

Micronutrients e.g. sulphur, magnesium

Macronutrients e.g. Oxygen, carbon, hydrogen and nitrogen

Sources of nutrients… Atmosphere Rocks Dead organic matter

RECYCLING OF NUTRIENTS LITTER Surface layer of vegetation BIOMASS Weight of living material SOIL Additional nutrients added by weathering of parent rock Trees and organisms die Plants take up nutrients Some nutrients lost due to leaching Decomposition of plants and leaves releases nutrients The Nutrient Cycle

The rainforest/ selvas nutrient ecosystem Biomass-trees and plants Litter Soil Gain from precipitation Gain from weathering Loss from leaching A carboniferous tropical rainforest is an evergreen forest – leaves grow all year Runoff

Steppe and prairie grasslands B L S Gain from precipitation Gain from weathering Loss from leaching Runoff

Northern coniferous forest (Taiga) B L S Gain from precipitation Gain from weathering Loss from leaching Runoff

Factors influencing the stores and transfers of nutrients

Homework