1Where is nitrogen stored?
95% is in the Earth's crust, mantle, and core
of the 5% remaining, 49% in organic matter, 49% in atmosphere as N2, 1% in biomass
2How do materials move between reservoirs
Bacterial action in many forms
3Nitrogen fixation
Converting atmospheric N2 to biologically available forms of nitrate and ammonium (certain bacteria)
4Why can only a few organisms convert Nitrogen?
Breaking N2 requires lots of energy
5How much have humans affected the changing of the cycling of nutrients
Humans have doubled nitrogen in the biosphere
6What are some consequences of human nitrogen fixation
Too many nutrients leads to eutrophication (excessive plant growth like algae)
7Denitrification
Loss of nitrate back to atmosphere (usually N2, sometimes N2O)
8Where is nutrients stored in the phosphorus cycle
Lithosphere, water
9How do materials move between reservoirs (phosphorus cycle)
No gaseous form, only cycles locally
10How does phosphorus act in ecosystems
Decreases terrestrial diversity, causes eutrophication in aquatic systems
11Prairie strips
Strips of perennial vegetation in agriculture fields, reduce phosphorus and nitrogen export by over 80%
12Where is nutrient stored in the carbon cycle
Ocean, soil, atmosphere
13How do materials in the carbon cycle move between reservoirs?
Photosynthesis, respiration
14How are humans affecting the cycling of nutrients in the carbon cycle
mining sequestered carbon and burning to fuel activities, deforestation, cultivating soil
15Global climate change
Increases in greenhouse gasses cause increases in global temp