BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLE

PHOSPHORUS CYCLE
The phosphorus cycle is a biogeochemical process in which phosphorus moves through
the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere.
There are 4 important steps of the phosphorus cycle which are Weathering, Absorption
by Plants, Absorption by Animals, and the Return to the Environment through
Decomposition.
 Under weathering, phosphate ions and other minerals can be found in a large
number of rocks, and because of this phosphorus cycle begins 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 with the soil.
 In the step of absorption by plants, the plants absorb phosphate salts that have
been dissolved in water. Aquatic plants can also absorb inorganic phosphorus
from the bottom layers of bodies of water. As phosphate salts do not dissolve
well in water, they have an impact on the development of aquatic ecosystems.
 The absorption by animals happens through eating/obtaining phosphorus from
plants or from plant-eating animals.
 After the absorption or obtaining of phosphorus by plants and animals, when they
die, Microorganisms decompose them, converting the organic form of
phosphorus into the inorganic form, which is returned to soil and water. Soil and
water will end up in sediments and rocks, which will then weather and release
phosphorus. As a result, the phosphorus cycle begins again.

CARBON CYCLE
The carbon cycle is the exchange of carbon compounds between the earth's biosphere,
geosphere, pedosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere.

These are the important steps/stages of the Carbon Cycle:

 Carbon is transferred from the atmosphere to plants. Carbon is combined
with oxygen in the atmosphere to form carbon dioxide (CO2). Carbon dioxide is
pulled from the air through photosynthesis to make carbon-based nourishment
for plant development.
 Carbon is transferred from plants to animals. Carbon from plants passes through
food chains to the organisms that eat them. Animals that consume other animals
absorb carbon from their food as well.
  Carbon is transferred from plants and animals to soils. When plants and animals
die, their bodies, wood, and leaves decompose, releasing carbon into the
ground. Some of it is buried and will become fossil fuels in millions of years.
 Carbon is transferred from living organisms to the atmosphere. When you
exhale, you emit carbon dioxide gas (CO2) into the atmosphere. Animals and
plants must emit carbon dioxide gas through a process known as respiration.
 When fossil fuels are burned, carbon is released into the atmosphere. When
people burn fossil fuels to power industries, power plants, automobiles, and
trucks, the majority of the carbon enters the atmosphere as carbon dioxide gas.
According to my research, each year, the combustion of fossil fuels emits 5.5
billion tons of CO2. 3.3 billion tons of this tremendous quantity remain in the
atmosphere. The majority of the residue dissolves in saltwater.
 Carbon is transferred from the atmosphere to the seas. The oceans and other
bodies of water absorb part of the carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The carbon
has been dissolved in water.

NITROGEN CYCLE
The Nitrogen Cycle is the process that converts inert nitrogen in the atmosphere into a
form that live organisms can use.

The Nitrogen Cycle involves several processes such as:

 Nitrogen Fixation Process is the first stage in the nitrogen cycle. In this process,
atmospheric nitrogen (N2), which is mostly accessible in inert form, is
transformed into the useful form -ammonia (NH3). The inert form of nitrogen gas
is deposited into soils from the atmosphere and surface waters during the
nitrogen fixation process, mostly by precipitation. The entire nitrogen fixation
process is finished by symbiotic bacteria known as Diazotrophs. Azotobacter and
Rhizobium are other important players in this process. These bacteria are made
up of a nitrogenase enzyme, which can mix gaseous nitrogen with hydrogen to
generate ammonia. Nitrogen fixation can occur either by air fixation (lightning) or
through industrial fixation (producing ammonia at high temperatures and
pressures). This can also be corrected by man-made processes, notably
industrial activities that produce ammonia and nitrogen-rich fertilizers.
According to my research, there are several types of NITROGEN FIXATION
which are Atmospheric fixation, Industrial nitrogen fixation, and Biological
nitrogen fixation.
 The second stage is Nitrification it is the presence of microorganisms in the soil
convert ammonia to nitrate throughout this process. Nitrites are generated by the
oxidation of ammonia by Nitrosomonas bacterium species. Nitrobacter then
 converts the nitrites generated into nitrates. This conversion is critical since
ammonia gas is poisonous to plants.
 In the Assimilation process, the plants use their roots to absorb nitrogen
molecules from the soil, which are accessible in the form of ammonia, nitrite ions,
nitrate ions, or ammonium ions and are used in the production of plant and
animal proteins. When the primary consumers eat the plants, it enters the food
web in this manner.
 Ammonification is when plants or animals die, and the nitrogen in the organic
matter returns to the soil. Organic matter is converted back into ammonium by
decomposers, which are bacteria or fungi found in the soil. This breakdown
process generates ammonia, which is then utilized in other biological activities.
 Denitrification is the process by which nitrogen compounds return to the
environment after being converted from nitrate (NO3-) to gaseous nitrogen (N).
This is the last step of the nitrogen cycle and happens in the absence of oxygen.
Denitrification is carried out by denitrifying bacterial species such as Clostridium
and Pseudomonas, which consume nitrate to get oxygen and produce free
nitrogen gas as a byproduct.

SULFUR CYCLE
The sulfur cycle outlines how sulfur moves through the geosphere and biosphere.

The process of the sulfur cycle are:

 The weathering of rocks releases sulfur.
 When sulfur comes into contact with air, it is transformed into sulfates.
 Plants and microorganisms absorb sulfates and convert them to organic forms.
 The organic form of sulfur is subsequently ingested by animals through their
food, and therefore sulfur goes into the food chain.
 Some of the sulfur is released by decomposition when the animals die, while
some enter the tissues of microbes.
 Sulfur is released directly into the atmosphere through a variety of natural
processes, including volcanic eruptions, evaporation of water, and the
decomposition of organic waste in wetlands. This sulfur falls to Earth like rain.

Aside from the process, these are the important steps of the sulfur cycle:
 Decomposition of Organic Compounds is when protein breakdown produces
sulfur-containing amino acids. Desulfotomaculum bacteria convert sulfates to
hydrogen sulfide (H2S).
 Oxidation of Hydrogen Sulfide to Elemental Sulphur is the step where Hydrogen
sulfide oxidizes to produce elemental sulfur. The oxidation process is initiated by
photosynthetic bacteria from the families Chlorobiaceae and Chromatiaceae.
  Elemental Sulphur Oxidation is a step where plants cannot directly utilize the
element sulfur found in the soil. As a result, chemolithotrophic bacteria convert it
to sulfates.
 Lastly, Sulphate Reduction is when Desulfovibrio desulfuricans convert sulfates
to hydrogen sulfide. This happens in two steps which are Utilizing ATP, the
sulfates are first transformed into sulfites. Second, sulfite is reduced to hydrogen
sulfide.

OXYGEN CYCLE
The oxygen cycle is a biological process that serves to maintain the oxygen level by
moving through the earth's three major spheres, which are:  Atmosphere, 
Lithosphere, and Biosphere. 

Here are the stages/steps involved in the oxygen cycle:

 Stage 1: As a byproduct of photosynthesis, all green plants release oxygen back
into the atmosphere.
 Stage 2: Free oxygen is used for respiration by all aerobic organisms.
 Stage 3: Animals breathe out carbon dioxide, which is then released into the
atmosphere and utilized once more by plants during photosynthesis.
Atmospheric oxygen is now in balance.

In addition, aside from the stages/steps involved in the oxygen cycle. There are  four
main processes that use atmospheric oxygen which are Breathing, Decomposition,
Combustion, and Rusting.

WATER CYCLE
As I researched, the water cycle is also known as the hydrologic cycle or the
hydrological cycle. It explains the continual movement of water on, above, and beneath
the Earth's surface.

The water changes state from one phase to another during the water cycle/process,
although the overall quantity of water particles remains constant. In other words, if 100
gms of water can be collected and boiled, it will still maintain a mass of 100 gms as
steam. Similarly, if 100 gms of steam is collected and condensed, the resulting water
weighs 100 gms. Water changes state by a number of processes, including
evaporation, melting, and freezing, as well as sublimation, condensation, and
deposition. All of these developments necessitate the use of energy.

These are the major steps/stages of Water Cycle:

1. Evaporation occurs when water molecules on the surface of bodies of water
become energized and ascend into the atmosphere. The molecules with the
highest kinetic energy congregate and form clouds of water vapor. Evaporation
occurs when water is below its boiling point. When water evaporates via the
leaves of plants, this is referred to as evapotranspiration. This process delivers a
substantial amount of water to the atmosphere.

2. Sublimation is the process through which snow or ice transforms straight into
water vapor without becoming water. It is mainly caused by dry winds and low
humidity. Sublimation can be seen on mountain summits with very low air
pressure. The low air pressure aids in the sublimation of snow into water
vapor by requiring less energy. The phase where fog bellows from dry ice is
another example of sublimation. The major source of sublimation on Earth is the
ice sheets that cover the planet's poles.

3. Condensation is because of the low temperatures seen at high altitudes; the

water vapor that has collected in the atmosphere ultimately cools down. These
vapors condense into small droplets of water and ice, eventually forming clouds.

4. Precipitation is when vapors condense the temperature rises above 0 degrees

Celsius, and the vapors condense into water droplets. However, it cannot
condense in the absence of dust or other contaminants. As a result, water vapors
adhere to the particle's surface. When enough raindrops combine, it falls from the
sky to the ground below. This is known as precipitation or rainfall. Water droplets
freeze and fall as snow or hail under severely cold temperatures or low air
pressure.

5. Infiltration is the process through which rainwater is absorbed into the ground.
The amount of absorption varies depending on the medium into which the water
has entered. Rocks, for example, will hold far less water than dirt. Groundwater
can follow either streams or rivers. However, it may occasionally descend
deeper, producing aquifers.

6. Runoff is if the rainwater does not create aquifers, it will typically run down the
slopes of mountains and hills, eventually producing rivers. This is referred to as
runoff. In colder places, icecaps form when the volume of snowfall is quicker than
the rate of evaporation or sublimation.