Biogeochemical Cycles and Ecosystems

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What is an ecosystem?

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An ecosystem is a community of living organisms (plants, animals, and microbes) interacting with each other and with their non-living environment (such as sunlight, water, air, soil, and temperature) in a specific area.

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What are ecosystem engineers?

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Animals like beavers are called ecosystem engineers because they change their environment and create new habitats.

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How does energy flow in an ecosystem?

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Energy from the sun flows in one direction—from plants to animals—and is lost as heat, while nutrients keep cycling over and over in nature.

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What percentage of energy is passed on to the next level in a food chain?

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Only about 10% of the energy is passed on to the next level; the other 90% is used or lost in different ways.

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What is the lithosphere?

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The lithosphere is the solid portion of the Earth’s crust composed of various minerals, including both terrestrial and oceanic crust.

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What is the hydrosphere?

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The hydrosphere encompasses all water bodies on Earth, covering 70% of Earth’s surface, including oceans, seas, rivers, lakes, ponds, and streams.

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What is the atmosphere?

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The atmosphere is the gaseous layer surrounding the planet, primarily composed of nitrogen (78.08%) and oxygen (20.95%).

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What is the biosphere?

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The biosphere is the area of the planet where life exists, including ecosystems found in soil, air, water, and land.

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What does the term 'biogeochemical' refer to?

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Biogeochemical refers to the natural processes that move chemical elements between living (bio), non-living (geo), and chemical forms in the environment.

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What are biogeochemical cycles?

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Biogeochemical cycles are the natural processes that move essential elements (like carbon, nitrogen, water, etc.) through the living and non-living parts of the Earth.