Material Cycling lecture

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MATERIAL CYCLING

HOW NUTRIENTS CYCLE

RECALL: PERCEPTIONS OF HUMANS TO NATURE

A.Nature is FRAGILE - delicate balance - could easily be upset by changes !

B. Nature is DURABLE - very sturdy - may change without much adverse consequence - can restore itself back

RECALL: ENERGY CANNOT BE CREATED NOR DESTROYED

The movement of elements and compounds that are essential to life

Materials are transported through organisms, the atmosphere, water and land in a series of CYCLES

BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLING

“Bio” – life, participation of organisms

“Geo” - abiotic environment as source of nutrients

“Chemical” – nature of substances being cycled

www.myfreephotoshop.com

BASIC TYPE OF CYCLES

www.colorado.edu

Gaseous type – the reservoir is the atmosphere and/or hydrosphere (e.g. N2, CO2, O2)

Sedimentary type – the reservoir is the Earth’s crust (e.g. Phosphorus)

Linkage type – the reservoir includes major pathways in air, water, and crust (e.g. sulfur)

WHEN DO THE PROBLEMS COME IN?

Errors in Nutrient Cycling

www.foe.co.uk

SOURCES OF ERRORS

Pollution – accumulation of a chemical form that is higher than the standards

njitvector.com

Clean Air Act of 1998

SOURCES OF ERRORS

Non-biodegradable substances – change to form new chemical structure where no organism has yet to utilize it

A to A’ to A’’ to A’’’sarahmosko.wordpress.com

SOURCES OF ERRORS

Eutrophication - the channeling of a substance to other pathways (greater amounts of phosphates in aquatic systems)

ericrumble.typepad.com

THE DIFFERENT BIOGEOCHEMICAL

CYCLES

HOW NUTRIENTS CYCLE

THE WATER CYCLE water.usgs.gov

PURPOSE: Mediates Nutrient Cycle and A Major Energy

Dissipation Pathway

IMPACTS OF HUMAN INTRUSION

More consumption than supply

Pumping waters from aquifers - not a normal part of the water cycle

Garbage and wastes pollute the water and clog drainage systems induces flooding

Asphalting – render the ground impervious to water blocks infiltration

WATER POLLUTION

www.conserve-energy-future.com

WHAT ELSE CAN YOU THINK OF?

TYPE: Gaseous

!Major Reservoir: Atmosphere

Forms: Free and Molecular Oxygen

Sources: Photosynthesis from producer AND Photodissociation of Water Vapor

Fate of Free O2:

Reach higher levels of trophosphere and reduced to ozone (provides protection by filtering out the sun's UV rays)

May react with chemicals and organic compounds of the earth’s crust

May be used up in cell respiration which release CO2 to be used by autotrophs to produce more O2

IMPACTS OF HUMAN INTRUSION

CFC’s (chlorofluorocarbons) deplete ozone layer “ozone hole”

Eutrophication (nutrient enrichment from agricultural and domestic wastes) leads to depletion of oxygen in water

Combustion of fossil fuels and removal of vegetation (deforestation) deplete the supply of oxygen in the atmosphere

THE CARBON CYCLEwww.onlyzerocarbon.org

TYPE: Gaseous

!

Major Reservoir: Atmosphere but also calcium carbonate in shells and limestone, as well as fossil fuel

Significance : Major element of organic compounds; building blocks of all biomolecules

TYPE: Gaseous

!Processes:

Photosynthesis removes CO2 while respiration and combustion add CO2 to the atmosphere.

CO2 from air and water combine to form bicarbonate (HCO3) – source of carbon for aquatic producers. Carbonic acid makes rainwater also slightly acidic

Similarly, when aquatic organisms respire, CO2 is released and combine with water to form HCO3. HCO3 (water) = CO2 (air)

CRUCIAL ISSUEExcess Carbon Emissions

(Anthropogenic)

www.foe.co.uk

HOWEVER… croesy-gcse-geography.doomby.com

THE NITROGEN CYCLEtygae.weebly.com

TYPE: Gaseous

!

Major reservoir – ATMOSPHERE

Importance – Essential for many biological processes, constitutes part of proteins (amino acids), in bases of nucleic acids that make up DNA and RNA

79% of atmosphere is made up of nitrogen (N2) but this is INERT

It must be fixed for organisms to utilize it

THE NITROGEN FIXERSblog.targethealth.com

micro-scopic.tumblr.com

IMPACTS OF HUMAN INTRUSION

USE OF NITROGEN FERTILIZERS

NITROGEN OXIDES RELEASED THROUGH COMBUSTION

Human use of nitrogen fertilizers causes runoff, leading to eutrophication in aquatic systems (e.g. eutrophication)

Ozone + PAN Photochemical Smog

IMPACTS OF HUMAN INTRUSION

LIVESTOCK RELEASE OF LARGE AMOUNTS OF AMMONIA (FROM WASTES)

The ammonia released from wastes of livestock can have detrimental effects on fish and other organisms

NITRATES LEACHING INTO GROUNDWATER

Nitrogen level in drinking water rises

A large rise of nitrogen in drinking water supplies leads to Methemoglobinemia / Blue-Baby Syndrome

There is reduction in diversity

LEACHING www.artinaid.com

THE PHOSPHORUS CYCLEreefkeeping.com

TYPE: PURELY SEDIMENTAL

Major reservoir – Earth’s crust

Importance

Phosphorous -also found in bones, in phospholipids which are found in biological membranes.

TYPE: PURELY SEDIMENTAL

Gradual cycle - It has no gaseous phase

Phosphorous normally occurs in nature as part of phosphate ion. Most phosphates found as salts in ocean sediments or in rocks.

Over time : geologic processes can bring sediments from ocean to land, and weathering can bring it from land to ocean

Phosphorous constituent of nucleic acids in DNA, and energy currency of cell ATP

IMPACTS OF HUMAN INTRUSION

Humans mine phosphate ores for use in fertilizer production and detergents

Human actions could lead to eutrophication of aquatic systems which cause algal blooms

Algal blooms cause fish kills

PHOSPHATES IN FERTILIZERSeatinglocalandorganic.com

TYPE: SEDIMENTARY WITH ATMOSPHERIC COMPONENT

Major reservoir – inorganic sulfur in rocks and fossil fuel

Biological Importance

Sulfur is an important element in protoplasm which is an important component of some amino acids

Sulfur is part of proteins, vitamins and hormones

ISSUE ASSOCIATED WITH SULFUR CYCLE: ACID RAIN

www.ypte.org.uk

science.howstuffworks.com

HEAVY METALSPOISONING THE CYCLE

www.watersafe.co.za

Marilen M. Parungao-Balolong

Marilen M. Parungao-Balolong

Marilen M. Parungao-Balolong

Marilen M. Parungao-Balolong

BIOMAGNIFICATIONIt is the increase in concentration of an element or compound that occurs in the food chain as a result of food chain energetics or degradation of substance

Accumulation of chemicals in higher predators or in higher trophic levels

sustainable-nano.com

BIOMAGNIFICATIONChemical concentration is said to be magnified thousand fold in tissues of higher trophic level organisms

It is important in ecology because : it indicates that solution to certain types of pollution is not dilution because food chains will concentrate the pollutant

BIOREMEDIATIONFINDING SOME SOLUTION www.expertsbuzz.com

BIOREMEDIATION BY BACTERIA

BIOREMEDIATION BY FUNGI (Mycoremediation)

www.kolumbus.fi

BIOREMEDIATION BY FUNGI (Mycoremediation)

BIOREMEDIATION BY PLANTS (Phytoremediation)

systemsbiology.usm.edu