Explain in general terms how inorganic nutrients cycle between the inorganic poo

Question

Explain in general terms how inorganic nutrients cycle between the inorganic pool and the organic pool in ecosystems. What types of organisms are most important in this process? Explain how Carbon cycles through ecosystems. What type of organism is responsible for bringing this element into the organic pool from the inorganic pool. What processes return C to the inorganic pool? Explain how the burning of fossil fuels and forests is contributing to the greenhouse effect (explain in general terms) that has contributed to increasing global temperatures over the past 150 years.

Explanation / Answer

Nutrients cycle:

All organisms depend on the nutrients available on the earth, but they are limited. Organisms are using is for past 3 billion years but the resources have not been changed, this is because the resources used are returned back to the environment. This is called as the nutrients cycle.

The nutrients pass on to the various food chains and finally are returned back to the environment.

Plants are most important for preparing their food by using the available nutrients from the environment.

Carbon cycle:

All compounds contain carbon, such as protein, carbohydrates contain carbon. So carbon is the important nutrient in the ecosystem.

Overall process of cellular respiration:

C6H12O6 + 6O2 ? 6CO2 + 6H2O

       Glucose         oxygen     carbon dioxide   water

Overall process of photosynthesis:

6CO2 + 6H2O ? C6H12O6+ 6O2

Carbon dioxide   water      glucose      oxygen

Fossil fuels:

Fossil fuels are fuel formed by natural process called decomposing. The dead plant and animals are decomposed by anaerobic micro organisms. This process takes millions of years.

Fossil fuels are petroleum, coal, natural gas etc.,

Impact on atmosphere:

Man uses fossil fuels for industry and vehicles. Burning of fossil fuels releases high amount of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere which cause increase in global warming.

Carbon dioxide and Global warming:

Green house effect:

The green house effect increases the global warming by trapping heat in the earth’s atmosphere. The green house gases in the atmosphere absorb and redirect the heat back to earth.

Green house gases: CO2, methane, nitrous oxide, fluorinated gases.

Global warming:

The earth’s surface reflect the heat to the space, but the green house gasses present in the atmosphere trap the heat reflected from the earth’s surface and reflect back to the earth which increases the global warming.

Over the past 150 years the global warming has increased because of human activities, such as deforestation, increased number of industries, burning of fossil fuels in vehicles all liberate the inorganic green house gases to the environment due to which the global warming has increased.

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