Biogeochemistry and Biogeochemical Cycles Definitions: “…the more or less circular transfer of chemical elements from the (abiotic) environment to the organisms and from organisms back to the (abiotic) environment.” Odum, 1971. “the study of the controls on the concentrations and cycling of elements in and above the earth’s crust by the synthesis, death and decomposition of organisms.” Gorham, 1991. Examples: carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, Fe, Mn, etc.
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Biogeochemistry and Biogeochemical Cycles
Definitions:“…the more or less circular transfer of chemical elements from the (abiotic) environment to the organisms and from organisms back to the (abiotic) environment.” Odum, 1971.
“the study of the controls on the concentrations and cycling of elements in and above the earth’s crust by the synthesis, death and decomposition of organisms.” Gorham, 1991.
Examples:carbon, nitrogen, sulfur, Fe, Mn, etc.
Big Picture
• Over the ‘long term’, biogeochemical cycling has played a fundamental role in planetary evolution on Earth (especially the atmosphere and hydrosphere).Example: rise of O2 in Earth’s atmosphere.
• At present, many biogeochemical cycles are effectively treated as dynamic equilibria among cycled materials.
• Anthropogenic effects are measurable.
Orbital Variations
Eccentricity100,000 yr
Tilt41,000 yr
Precession23,000 yr
From Albarede, 2003
Residence Time (steady state)Response Time (non steady-state)
• Definition: Average time the substance spends in the reservoir. It is the time required to double the concentration in a reservoir (if output ceased).
• Ri = amti in reservoir/fluxi
Example residence times:water in atmosphere: 11 days water in ocean: 3550 yr
• Materials can be imported and exported from ecosystems and long-term storage pools.
Basic Biogeochemical Cycle
Organic Storage Pool
Available Abiotic Pool
Living Organic Matter
Biosynthesis
Dead Organic MatterDeath
Decomposition(Mineralization)
Inorganic Storage Pool
Uplift, mining, etc.
System boundary
Major, Minor, and Trace Elements in Biogeochemical Cycles
• Major elemental components of living organisms (C, H, O, N, P, S)– Carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, nucleic acids
• Minor elements: Ca, K, Mg, Na, Si• Trace elements: B, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Mo, Ni, Se,
Sn, V, Zn, REEs• Ca and Si are only minor components of protoplasm,
but are major components of exo and endoskeletons of microorgs and macroorgs
• Fe, Mn, N, S are also cycled rapidly via redox processes which may not be directly coupled to the production and decay of organic matter
(students run screaming from the room)
A Partially Open Biogeochemical Cycle: The Oceanic Carbon System
