Recycling Matter The flow of nutrients between organisms and their environment is referred to as a biogeochemical cycle.
Carbon Cycle
Key to Life Carbon is the element that is central to all life. Backbone of every organic molecule found. Inorganic carbon also prevalent on the planet. It is found dissolved in the oceans. It is contained in rocks and sediments. It is found in the atmosphere, mostly as CO2.
Carbon can be cycled fast or slow Fast cycling involves photosynthesis and cellular respiration Slow cycling involves carbon sources and carbon sinks.
Fast Cycling Photosynthesis takes in approximately 50 -70 billion tones of carbon every year. That’s about the mass of 9 million elephants, or 1 trillion people!
Slow Cycle Oceans are massive carbon sinks Volcanoes release significant amounts of carbon
Human Impact Combustion of Fossil fuels Reduction of Vegetation Increased Population Increased livestock production
Global Warming Increased Carbon in the Atmosphere Leads to an increase in the Greenhouse effect and Climate Change.
Sulfur Cycle http://biology.kenyon.edu/courses/biol112/Biol112WebPage/Syllabus/Topics/Week%2013/SulfurCycle.jpg
Key points in the sulfur cycle There are decomposers that convert sulfur to sulfide and others that convert sulfides to sulfur Human activities are responsible for far more generation of sulfates in the atmosphere than natural processes Sulfates and sulfides that combine with water in the air form hydrosulfic acid and sulfuric acidacid deposition Problematic when it causes acidification of lakes and corrosion of metal and stone structures Sulfur is used by plants for protein synthesis