Biogeochemical Cycle- The flow of chemical elements and compounds between living organisms and the

physical environment. Chemicals absorbed or ingested by organisms are passed through the food chain
and returned to the soil, air, and water by such mechanisms as respiration, excretion, and decomposition.
The cycle in which nitrogen, carbon, and other inorganic elements of the soil, atmosphere, etc. of a region
are converted into the organic substances of animals or plants and released back into the environment.
Bio- biosphere geo – geological component, chemical- chemical component
Major elements- carbo, hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, phosphorous, sulfur
Types of biogeochemical cycle.
Gaseous cycle. gaseous cycle refers to the transfer and transformation of gasses between various
biogeochemical reservoirs, lithosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere, and biosphere.
Sedimentary cycles. - sedimentary cycle involves minerals that move from land to sediments in the
oceans and back to the land.
Carbon cycle- the process in which carbon atoms continually travel from the atmosphere to the Earth and
then back into the atmosphere.

1. Carbon present in the atmosphere is absorbed by plants for photosynthesis.

2. These plants are then consumed by animals and carbon gets bioaccumulated into their bodies.
3. These animals and plants eventually die, and upon decomposing, carbon is released back into the
atmosphere.
4. Some of the carbon that is not released back into the atmosphere eventually become fossil fuels.
5. These fossil fuels are then used for man-made activities, which pumps more carbon back into the
atmosphere.

Water cycle- known also as hydrological cycle the continuous movement of water within the Earth and atmosphere.

Step 1: Evaporation

The water cycle begins with evaporation. It is a process where water at the surface turns into water
vapors. Water absorbs heat energy from the sun and turns into vapors. Water bodies like the oceans,
the seas, the lakes and the river bodies are the main source of evaporation. Through evaporation, water
moves from hydrosphere to atmosphere. As water evaporates it reduces the temperature of the bodies.

Step 2: Condensation

As water vaporizes into water vapor, it rises up in the atmosphere. At high altitudes the water vapors
changes into very tiny particles of ice /water droplets because of low temperature. This process is
called condensation. These particles come close together and form clouds and fogs in the sky.

Step 3: Sublimation

Apart from evaporation, sublimation also contributes to water vapors in the air. Sublimation is a
process where ice directly converts into water vapors without converting into liquid water. This
phenomenon accelerates when the temperature is low or pressure is high. The main sources of water
from sublimation are the ice sheets of the North Pole and the South Pole and the ice caps on the
mountains. Sublimation is a rather slower process than evaporation.
Step 4: Precipitation

The clouds (condensed water vapors) then pour down as precipitation due to wind or temperature
change. This occurs because the water droplets combine to make bigger droplets. Also when the air
cannot hold any more water, it precipitates. At high altitudes the temperature is low and hence the
droplets lose their heat energy. These water droplets fall down as rain. If the temperature is very low
(below 0 degrees), then the water droplets would fall as snow. In addition, water could also precipices
in the form of drizzle, sleet and hail. Hence water enters lithosphere.

Step 5: Transpiration

As water precipitates, some of it is absorbed by the soil. This water enters into the process of
transpiration. Transpiration is a process similar to evaporation where liquid water is turned into water
vapor by the plants. The roots of the plants absorb the water and push it toward leaves where it is used
for photosynthesis. The extra water is moved out of leaves through stomata (very tiny openings on
leaves) as water vapor. Thus water enters the biosphere and exits into gaseous phase.

Step 6: Runoff

As the water pours down (in whatever form), it leads to runoff. Runoff is the process where water runs
over the surface of earth. When the snow melts into water it also leads to runoff. As water runs over
the ground it displaces the topsoil with it and moves the minerals along with the stream. This runoff
combines to form channels, rivers and ends up into lakes, seas, and oceans. Here the water enters
hydrosphere.

Step 7: Infiltration

Some of the water that precipitates do not runoff into the rivers and is absorbed by the plants or gets
evaporated. It moves deep into the soil. This is called infiltration. The water seeps down and increases
the level of ground water table. It is called pure water and is drinkable. The infiltration is measured as
inches of water-soaked by the soil per hour.

Nitrogen cycle- biogeochemical process through which nitrogen is converted into many forms, consecutively passing from the
atmosphere to the soil to organism and back into the atmosphere.

Nitrification- In this process, the ammonia is converted into nitrate by the presence of bacteria in the soil.

Assimilation- Primary producers – plants take in the nitrogen compounds from the soil with the help of their roots, which are
available in the form of ammonia, nitrite ions, nitrate ions or ammonium ions and are used in the formation of the plant and
animal proteins. This way, it enters the food web when the primary consumers eat the plants.

Ammonification- When plants or animals die, the nitrogen present in the organic matter is released back into the soil. The
decomposers, namely bacteria or fungi present in the soil, convert the organic matter back into ammonium. This process of
decomposition produces ammonia, which is further used for other biological processes.

Denitrification- Denitrification is the process in which the nitrogen compounds make its way back into the atmosphere by
converting nitrate (NO3-) into gaseous nitrogen (N).

OXYGEN CYCLE- the cycle that helps move oxygen through the three main regions of the Earth, the Atmosphere, the
Biosphere, and the Lithosphere.

Uses of oxygen- rusting - Rust forms on the surface of an iron or steel object, when that surface comes into contact with oxygen.
The oxygen molecules collide with the iron atoms on the surface of the object, and they react to form iron oxide.

Combustion- When a fuel is burned, oxygen in the combustion air chemically combines with the hcarbon in the fuel to form
water and carbon dioxide, releasing heat in the process
Decomposition- Oxygen is needed for many decomposers to respire, to enable them to grow and multiply. Oxygen is required for
microbes to decompose organic wastes efficiently.

Breathing- Our lungs supply oxygen from the outside air to the cells via the blood and cardiovascular system to enable us to
obtain energy. As we breathe in, oxygen enters the lungs and diffuses into the blood. It is taken to the heart and pumped into the
cells.

PHOSPHOROUS CYCLE- The phosphorus cycle is the process by which phosphorus moves through the lithosphere,
hydrosphere, and biosphere. Phosphorus is essential for plant and animal growth, as well as the health of microbes inhabiting the
soil, but is gradually depleted from the soil over time.

 Weathering

Phosphorus is found in the rocks in abundance. That is why the phosphorus cycle starts in the earth’s crust. The phosphate salts
are broken down from the rocks. These salts are washed away into the ground where they mix in the soil.

 Absorption by Plants

The phosphate salts dissolved in water are absorbed by the plants. However, the amount of phosphorus present in the soil is very
less. That is why the farmers apply phosphate fertilizers on agricultural land. The aquatic plants absorb inorganic phosphorus
from lower layers of water bodies. Since phosphate salts do not dissolve in water properly, they affect plant growth in aquatic
ecosystems.

 Absorption by Animals

The animals absorb phosphorus from the plants or by consuming plant-eating animals. The rate of the phosphorus cycle is faster
in plants and animals when compared to rocks.

 Return of Phosphorus Back to the Ecosystem

When the plants and animals die, they are decomposed by microorganisms During this process, the organic form of phosphorus is
converted into the inorganic form, which is recycled to soil and water.

Soil and water will end up in sediments and rocks, which will again release phosphorus by weathering. Thus, the phosphorus
cycle starts over.

SULPHUR CYCLE- The sulfur cycle describes the movement of sulfur through the geosphere and biosphere. Sulfur is released
from rocks through weathering, and then assimilated by microbes and plants. It is then passed up the food chain and assimilated
by plants and animals, and released when they decompose.

Human activities cause an imbalance in biogeochemical cycles. Human activities such as polluting the water bodies or
deforestation have increased the CO2 level in the atmosphere and also nitrogen level in the biosphere. This leads to a problem
such as cultural eutrophication.