Nutrient%20Cycles

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The Physical Earth
The Santa Paula Creek Watershed in Southern
California
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Gaia Hypothesis

• Proposed by James Lovelock and Lynn Margulis
• Planet Earth is comparable to individual
  organisms
• Has Homeostasis
• Responds to a changing environment

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Sphere Definitions

• Biosphere
• Atmosphere
• Troposphere
• Stratosphere
• Hydrosphere
• Lithosphere

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Biogeochemical Cycles
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Biogeochemical cycles

• Influence the availability of nutrients to
  ecosystem
• Elements available as ions.
• Nutrient reserves are maintained by inputs
  and recycling

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Biogeochemical cycles

• Amount of nutrients recycled gt amount entering or
  leaving.
• Environment Inputs
• precipitation, metabolism, and weathering.
• Environmental Outputs
• runoff and evaporation.

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Water Cycle

• Living systems gt 50 water
• Need water for aquatic animals to live in

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The Water Cycle
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Carbon Cycle

• Needed for ALL organic molecules

What are organic molecules and why are they so
important?
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Nitrogen Cycle

• Needed for proteins and nucleic acids
• Cannot be taken in directly by animals needs to
  be assimilated by plants first

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Nitrogen Cycle
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Nitrogen Cycle

• Nitrogen fixation
• Nitrification
• Assimilation
• Ammonification
• Denitrification

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Phosphorus Cycle

• Needed for nucleotides
• Needed for phospholipids of cell membranes
• Cannot be taken in directly by animals needs to
  be assimilated by plants first

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