Biogeochemical Cycles quiz #2 Flashcards
Biogeochemical Cycles quiz #2
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Which of the following cycles is crucial to living organisms? A) Water cycle B) Carbon cycle C) Nitrogen cycle D) Phosphorus cycle
All of the above cycles (A, B, C, and D) are crucial to living organisms as they recycle essential nutrients. How do decomposers contribute to the carbon cycle?
Decomposers break down dead organic matter, releasing carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere through the process of decomposition. What role do decomposers play in the carbon cycle?
Decomposers convert organic carbon from dead organisms into carbon dioxide, which is released into the atmosphere. How do nutrients move through an environment, and what drives the movement of nutrients?
Nutrients move through an environment via biogeochemical cycles, driven by biological processes like photosynthesis and decomposition, and geological processes like weathering and erosion. What role do decomposers play in the phosphorus cycle?
Decomposers break down organic matter, returning phosphorus to the soil in the form of phosphates, which can be assimilated by plants. Which nutrient cycle does not have an atmospheric component? A) Water cycle B) Carbon cycle C) Nitrogen cycle D) Phosphorus cycle
D) Phosphorus cycle Which of the following is not recycled in the biosphere? A) Water B) Carbon C) Energy D) Nitrogen
C) Energy Which organisms play a role in returning carbon to the atmosphere?
Decomposers, through the process of decomposition, and all organisms through cellular respiration, return carbon to the atmosphere as carbon dioxide. What do detritus feeders contribute to the carbon cycle?
Detritus feeders consume dead organic matter, aiding in its decomposition and the release of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. How are decomposers critical to the carbon cycle?
Decomposers are critical because they break down dead organic material, releasing carbon dioxide back into the atmosphere, thus maintaining the carbon cycle. Which biological process by decomposers releases carbon from organic forms back into the atmosphere?
Decomposition Which Earth sphere is not involved in biogeochemical cycling? A) Atmosphere B) Lithosphere C) Hydrosphere D) None of the above
D) None of the above; all spheres are involved in biogeochemical cycling. What are biogeochemical cycles, and why are they important for ecosystems?
Biogeochemical cycles are processes that recycle chemical nutrients between living (biotic) and non-living (abiotic) components of ecosystems. They are important because they ensure the continuous availability of essential elements like water, carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus, which are necessary for life and ecosystem stability. How does carbon move through the carbon cycle, and what role do living organisms play?
Carbon moves through the carbon cycle via processes like photosynthesis (plants and phytoplankton absorb CO2), consumption (carbon moves up the food chain), respiration and decomposition (release CO2 back to the atmosphere), and fossil fuel combustion. Living organisms are crucial as they absorb, store, and release carbon. What is the main reservoir of phosphorus in the phosphorus cycle, and how does phosphorus become available to organisms?
The main reservoir of phosphorus is phosphate-containing sedimentary rocks. Weathering releases phosphates into the soil, where they can be assimilated by plants and then move through the food chain. Phosphorus does not cycle through the atmosphere. Compare the global scale of the water, carbon, and nitrogen cycles to the phosphorus cycle.
The water, carbon, and nitrogen cycles operate on a global scale because they involve atmospheric reservoirs that allow elements to move worldwide. The phosphorus cycle is more local because it lacks an atmospheric component and mainly cycles through rocks, soil, and water. Describe the process of weathering in the phosphorus cycle and its ecological significance.
Weathering is the breakdown of phosphate-containing rocks by natural forces like rain and wind, releasing phosphates into the soil. This process is ecologically significant because it makes phosphorus available to plants and, subsequently, to other organisms in the ecosystem.
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