Biogeochemical cycles describe the mechanisms by which water, carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, and phosphorus are recycled continuously through ecosystems. As living organisms incorporate these essential elements into their bodies, decomposers ensure nutrients flow through ecosystems by breaking down waste and dead matter. This recycling is critical because while sunlight provides continuous energy, the supply of elements that serve as nutrients is fixed, and must be reused to sustain life. The major biogeochemical cycles that recycle these elements include the water, carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, and phosphorus cycles.

1. Biogeochemical cycles

2. introduction
• As living organisms carry on essential life processes, they incorporate
water molecules, carbon, nitrogen, and other elements from their
environment into their bodies. Without decomposers to ensure the
flow of nutrients through ecosystems, much matter would soon be
incorporated into bodies and wastes, and life would soon become
extinct. Although the supply of energy from sunlight is continuously
renewed, the supply of water and the chemical elements that serve
as nutrients is fixed. These materials must be recycled continuously to
make them available to living organisms. The mechanism by which
such recycling occurs are referred to as biogeochemical cycles; bio
refers to living things, and geo refers to the Earth, the environment of
the living things.

3. The biogeochemical cycles include;
• Water cycle
• Carbon cycle
• Nitrogen cycle
• Sulphur cycle
• Phosphorus cycle