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Multiple Choice
The diagram above best illustrates major processes in which of the following biogeochemical cycles?
A
The carbon cycle
B
The phosphorus cycle
C
The nitrogen cycle
D
The water (hydrologic) cycle
Verified step by step guidance
1
Step 1: Begin by understanding what a biogeochemical cycle is. These cycles describe the movement of chemical elements and compounds between living organisms and the physical environment. Examples include the carbon cycle, nitrogen cycle, phosphorus cycle, and water cycle.
Step 2: Review the processes typically associated with the water (hydrologic) cycle. These include evaporation, condensation, precipitation, infiltration, runoff, and transpiration. Each of these processes involves the movement of water through different parts of the Earth system.
Step 3: Compare the processes in the diagram to those in the water cycle. Look for visual cues such as clouds forming (condensation), rain falling (precipitation), water soaking into the ground (infiltration), or water moving across the surface (runoff). These are key indicators of the hydrologic cycle.
Step 4: Eliminate other options by identifying processes unique to their respective cycles. For example, the carbon cycle involves photosynthesis and respiration, the nitrogen cycle includes nitrogen fixation and denitrification, and the phosphorus cycle involves weathering of rocks and uptake by plants. If these processes are absent, they are not the correct cycle.
Step 5: Conclude that the diagram illustrates the water (hydrologic) cycle based on the presence of processes like evaporation, precipitation, and runoff, which are characteristic of this cycle.