Carbon and Nitrogen Cycling

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Carbon and Nitrogen Cycling

• Robert F. Chen
• UMassBoston
• Environmental Coastal and Ocean Sciences
• (ECOS)

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Carbon
Buckminster Fullerene

• Fourth most abundant element in the universe
• Basis for life
• 4 bonds
• Forms complex molecules
• Gaseous form

Megaphone
Moronic Acid
Bastadin-5
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Photosynthesis

• Where does the mass of a tree come from?
• CO2 H2O?CH2O O2

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Global Productivity
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Respiration

• Mitochondria, bacteria, fires, combustion engines
• O2 CH2O?CO2 H2O
• Fossil Fuels burned at 20,000 times natural rates
  of oxidation

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CO2 Emissions
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Atmospheric Measurements
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Missing Sink of Atmospheric CO2(in Gigatons
Carbon1015gmC)

• Fossil Fuel Burning 6.0/- 0.5
• Deforestation 0.9/-0.7
• Atmospheric Increase 3.2/-0.1
• Oceanic Uptake 2.0 /-0.8
• Missing Sink 1.7 /1.2

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Mass Balance

• Total mass is always conserved
• Each element is also conserved in a closed system
• Can you design a closed system that is
  sustainable indefinitely?
• Eco-sphere.com

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Neponset River Estuary

• Urban Largest salt marsh in Boston
• Small 6km long 100m wide
• lt5m deep, 3m tidal range
• Oldest dam in the country
• Extensive salt marsh and mudflats

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Gullivers Creek
Granite Ave. Bridge
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Minishuttle Instrumentation
Minishuttle underway at 4 kts
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Cycles are linked

• CO2 H2O? CH2O O2

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Biosphere 2

• http//www.bio2.edu/virtualtour/beach.htm
• 7 people, O2 began to drop
• Why?

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Nitrogen Cycle
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Needs

• Amino Acids?proteins
• Nucleic Acids
• Chlorophyll
• Carbon to Nitrogen ratio

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Sources

• Nitrogen Fixing bacteria
• Legumes
• Clover
• Cyanobacteria
• Lightning
• Haber Process (factory fertilizer production)
• Internal combustion engines (cars)
• Mankind has doubled N-inputs to coastal areas?
  eutorphication

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Fall Colors

• Chlorophyll-N recalled
• Accessory pigments shown
• Huge loss of C, but not N

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Lawn calculation

• If you add 1 pound of nitrogen fertilizer to your
  lawn, how many pounds of lawn clippings must you
  carry away?
• Water
• Carbon/Nitrogen ratio

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Frameworks

• Elements and compounds
• Mixtures and pure substances (solutions)
• Conservation of Mass
• Energy and living things
• Changes of ecosystems over time/affect of mankind