Biogeochemical cycles
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What are the carbon reservoirs
• atmosphere • hydrosphere • lithosphere (rocks and fossil fuel) • living things • dead organic matter
What is photosynthesis and how does carbon move from one reservoir to another
• plants use sunlight to synthesise nutrients from carbon dioxide and water • atmosphere - biosphere
What is respiration and how does carbon move from one reservoir to another
• living organisms involving the production of energy intake of oxygen and release of CO2 • biosphere - atmosphere
What is food chain transfer and how does carbon move from one reservoir to another
• transfer of matter and energy in the form of food from organism to organism • biosphere - biosphere
What is fossilisation and how does carbon move from one reservoir to another
• animal or plant becoming preserved in a hard form • biosphere - lithosphere
What is combustion and how does carbon move from one reservoir to another
• chemical combination of a substance with oxygen, involving the production of heat and light • lithosphere - atmosphere
What is decomposition and how does carbon move from one reservoir to another
• break up into constituent parts by or as if by a chemical process • biosphere - atmosphere
What is volcanic activity and how does carbon move from one reservoir to another
• ranges from emissions of gases, non - explosive lava emissions to extremely violet explosive bursts that may last many hours • lithosphere - atmosphere
How does deforestation affect process and what are the consequences
• decrease photosynthesis • decrease food chain transfer • increases amount of CO2 in atmosphere • contributes to climate change
How does combustion of fossil fuels affect processes and what are the consequences
• increase combustion • releases stored carbon into the atmosphere • contributes to climate change
How does afforestation affect processes and what are the consequences
• increases photosynthesis • increases food chain transfer • decreases amount of CO2 in the atmosphere
How does intensive farming affect processes and what are the consequences
• increase decomposition • can either increase or decrease photosynthesis • increase CO2 in atmosphere
How does pollution of oceans affect carbon processes and what are the consequences
• increase in CO2 • decrease in respiration • reduce amount of CO2 released
What are the nitrogen reservoirs
• atmosphere • biosphere • lithosphere • hydrosphere
What is ionisation
• lightning provides energy for atmospheric nitrogen and oxygen to react and produce oxides of nitrogen
What is fixation
• microorganisms that can chemically reduce nitrogen to ammonia
What is nitrogen food chain transfer
• nitrogen passes between organisms as amino acids and proteins in food
What is nitrification
• involves the oxidation of ammonium ions to nitrites, then to nitrates, by nitrifying bacteria in the soil
What is denitrification
• chemical reduction of nitrates in soil to nitrogen and nitrogen oxide gases, by denitrifying bacteria in the soil
What is leaching
• the high solubility of nitrates means they are easily leached out of the soils and into water bodies where they act as nutrients for aquatic plants and algae
What is absorption by roots nitrogen
• plants absorb nitrogen as soluble ions, mainly as nitrate but also as ammonium ions
What is ammonification
• the amino groups in proteins are released as ammonium ions by the action of bacteria, fungi as they decompose dead organic matter
How does the Haber process impact the nitrogen reservoirs and availability
• turning air into fertilisers • use large amounts of energy • ammonia is then converted to nitrates
How does agricultural activities impact nitrogen reservoirs and availability
• use of fertilisers : nitrate fertilisers may increase problems caused by leaching • drainage systems : makes soil more aerobic so increases the number of nitrifying bacteria • soil disturbance : ploughing - increases rate of decomposition which releases more nitrogen oxides