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