AP Bio Chapter CYCLES and RESERVOIRS
nitrogen cycle reservoirs
atmosphere and biomass
water cycle key processes
evaporation and globally driven by solar energy, condensation, precipitation, transpiration by terrestrial plants
carbon cycle reservoirs
fossil fuels, sedimentary rocks, plants and animal biomass
phosphorous cycle forms available
inorganic form is phosphate, which plants absorb and use in synthesis of organic compounds
Reservoir C
inorganic materials available as nutrients: atmosphere, water, soil (Assimilation and photosynthesis to A, formation of sedimentary rock to D)
Reservoir D
inorganic materials unavailable as nutrients: minerals in rocks (weathering, erosion to C)
nitrogen cycle key processes
nitrogen fixation (conversion of N2 to forms that can be used to synthesize organic nitrogen compounds, bacteria and lightning can do this), nitrogen inputs by humans outpace natural inputs on land (fertilizers and legume crop roots that fix nitrogen via bacteria), enters through atmospheric deposition and nitrogen fixation (mostly local cycles between organisms and soil)
Reservoir A
organic materials available as nutrients: living organisms, detritus (fossilization to B, respiration and decomposition to C)
Reservoir B
organic materials unavailable as nutrients: peat, coal, oil (burning of fossil fuels to C)
phosphorous cycle key processes
phosphate is added to soil and groundwater with erosion, returned to soil or water by decomposition or excretion, not in the atmosphere
limiting factors to primary production
phosphorus and nitrogen
carbon cycle key processes
photosynthesis removes a lot from atmosphere, but then is equaled by CO2 added through cellular respiration and fossil fuels which adds even more, reflects interaction between photosynthesis and cellular respiration
carbon cycle forms available
photosynthetic organisms utilize CO2 and turn into organic forms used by everyone
nitrogen cycle forms available
plants can use ammonium and nitrate and other organic forms, animals can only use organic
phosphorous cycle reservoirs
sedimentary rocks of marine origin, soil, relatively localized in ecosystems