Article objectives To define and give examples of biogeochemical cycles that recycle matter. To describe the water cycle and the processes by which water changes state. To summarize the organic and geological pathways of the carbon cycle. To outline the nitrogen cycle and state the roles of bacteria in the cycle. Unlike energy, elements are not lost and replaced as they pass through ecosystems. Instead, they are recycled repeatedly. All chemical elements that are needed by living things are recycled in ecosystems, including carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, and sulfur. Water is also recycled. Biogeochemical Cycles A biogeochemical cycle is a closed loop through which a chemical element or water moves through ecosystems. In the term biogeochemical , bio - refers to biotic components and geo - to geological and other abiotic components. Chemicals cycle through both biotic and abiotic components of ecosystems. For example, an element might move from t...
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