Amber Iqbal

Bs Zoology 7th semester

Roll no: 236
Assignment:
Environmental biology
Sumitted to:
Maam Iqra
BIOGEOCHEMICAL CYCLE:
The exclic movements of chemical elements of the biosphere between the organism
and the environment is called biogeochemical cycles. "Bio" means living organisms and
qmeans rocks, soil, air and water of the earth. The total mass of all the organisms that have
lived on the earth in the past 1.5 billion years is much greater than the mais of carbon and
nitrogen atoms present. According to the law of comeration of matter, matter is neither
created nor destroyed. Hence carbon and nitrogen mat have been used over and over again
in the course of time. The earth neither receives my great.Amount of matter from other parts
of the universe nor does it lose significant mater to outer space. The stone of each element
like carbon, hydrogen, oxygen of nitrogen, phosphorus, calcium, and the rest are taken from
the environment These are made a part of some cellular component of an organin. Then
these are finally med to the environment to be med over again.
•GASEOUS CYCLES:
Gaseous cycles include those of nitrogen, oxygen, carbon, and water.
•Sedimentary cycles include phosphorus cycle, sulfur cycle, iron cycle and calcium cycle.
Phosphorus cycle is known to be the slowest biogeochemical cycle.
SEDIMENTARY CYCLES:
Mineral elements required by living organisms are obtained initially from inorganic
sources. Available forms occur as salts dissolved in soil water or lakes, streams, and
seas. The mineral cycle varies from one element to another. But essentially it
consists of two phase: the salt-solution phase and the rock phase.Mineral salts come
directly from the earth's crust by weathering. The soluble salts then enter the
water-cycle. With water they move through the soil to streams and lakes and
eventually reach the sea, where they remain indefinitely. Other salts are returned to
the earth's crust through sedimentation. They become incorporated into salt beds,
silts and limestones. After weathering they again enter the cycle.Plants and
animals are living components of the ecosystems. They fulfil their mineral
requirements from mineral solutions in their environments. Other animals acquire
the bulk of their minerals from plants and animals they consume. After the death of
living organisms the minerals are returned to the soil and water through the action
of the organisms and process of decay.
Phosphorous cycle:
● Has no gaseous phase
● Has no atmospheric components
● It is not moved by wind or rain.
● Phosphorous tend to cycle only from locally phosphate rocks
● Importance about Phosphorous cycle:
● All living organisms required phosphorus which becomes incorporated into
ATP.
● ATP Energy providing compounds for most metabolic processes.
● Its is a key component of other biological molecules such as DNA and RNA
and the Phospholipid bilayer of cell membranes .
● Phosphorous is essential mineral in many animals helps to maintain a
strong healthy skeleton.
Sources of phosphorus:
Phosphorus cycle has no atmospheric phase. It occurs naturally in environment
as:
● Phosphate (PO, or one of its analogues, HPO, or H2PO4), either as soluble
inorganic phosphate ions, as soluble organic phosphate (i.e., as a part of a
soluble organic molecule)
● Particulate phosphate (i.e., as part of an insoluble organic or inorganic
molecules) •
● Mineral phosphate (ie., as part of a mineral grain as found in a rock or
sediment).
Main reservios:
● Present in rocks
● dissolved phosphorus in ocean &ocean sediments
● Phosphate form is useable

phosphorous is released from rocks by weathering, leaching,

erosion & mining 1 These are releasing factors.
Phosphorous Cycle: process:
1Weathering and erosion :. Weathering and erosion of sedimentary rocks
release. Phosphorous into the soil.Plants have the metabolic means to absorb
dissolved ionized form of Phosphorous most important form in which occurs as
phosphate is Hp4 or H2PO4- .
2-Herbivorous obtain their Phosphorous only from eating plants:
Phosphorous moves from
Rocks Soil/water Plants

herbivorous
excrete waste or die

Carnivorous

Decomposers
again move in soil
● Carnivores obtain it by eating herbivoroes. When plants and animals
excrete waste or die, the phosphorus becomes available to decomposers,
which release it back to the soil.
3-Leaching and runoff:
Eventually wash much phosphate into aquatic systems , where plants
and algae utilize it. In addition rivers transport phosphorus to lakes or
ocean where it is often taken up quickly by phytoplankton.
● Phosphate that is not taken up into the food chain settles to the ocean
floor or lake bottom, eventually forming sedimentary rocks.
● Phosphorous can remain locked in sedimentary rocks
● Phosphorus Can remains Locked Sedimentary Rock for millions of
years becoming available Again Listener Geological Process of
Uplift,Expose the element to weathering.
● 1•Phosphorus Off dissolved forms
leaks
enter into the aquatic system ● 3•Phosphate which does not take
part in food chain
Plants and algae utilize it
● 2•Phosphate reach in rivers
Settle down to the ocean
floor and lake bottom

Transport to lackes and Ocean

after sometime
Which used Phytoplanktons For their Growth
4•phosphate remain locked in sedimentary rock for million of years

become avaliable through the geological process. of uplift

expose the elements to weathering.

5•Plants can take up phosphate rapidly and efficiently.

plants rapidly utilize easily. and make a limiting agent

6•if phosphorous added in aquatic syster

increase the rate of growth of algae and production of aquatic plant increase
● In an case of study overabundance of phosphorous caused the rapid growth
of algae and other plants in an experimental lake in Canada when
phosphorus is add.
● Phytoplankton biomass increases with increase phosphorus due to this the
composition of algae community changes. The change which occur is green
algae is changes into blue green algae.
● If the amount of Phosphorus decreas only green algae appears.
● When algae die than bacteria decomposed them using the dissolved oxygen
than oxygen level is drop.
● When oxygen level drop than fish kills. This process is called eutrophication.
Eutrophication: The process by which elevated nutrients levels lead to an
overgrowth of algae and the subsequent depletion of water or oxygen levels is
called eutrophication.