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Multiple Choice
Which of the following best describes a similarity among the carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen cycles in ecosystems?
A
All three cycles occur only in aquatic environments.
B
All three cycles require only abiotic factors for the transfer of elements.
C
All three cycles involve the movement of elements between living organisms and the atmosphere.
D
All three cycles are driven exclusively by geological processes.
Verified step by step guidance
1
Understand the concept of biogeochemical cycles: These cycles describe the movement of elements like carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen through both living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic) components of ecosystems.
Recognize that all three cycles involve interactions between living organisms and the atmosphere. For example, carbon is exchanged through processes like photosynthesis and respiration, nitrogen through nitrogen fixation and denitrification, and oxygen through respiration and photosynthesis.
Identify that these cycles are not limited to aquatic environments; they occur in terrestrial ecosystems as well, involving soil, plants, animals, and the atmosphere.
Clarify that these cycles require both biotic and abiotic factors. For instance, nitrogen fixation involves bacteria (biotic) and atmospheric nitrogen (abiotic), while carbon cycling involves plants (biotic) and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere (abiotic).
Note that geological processes, such as rock weathering, play a role in some cycles (e.g., phosphorus cycle), but the carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen cycles are primarily driven by biological and atmospheric processes rather than being exclusively geological.