|
|
Article: Biogeochemical Cycles
- Article from:
- Biology
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2002 The Gale Group Inc. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
|
Biogeochemical Cycles
Biogeochemical cycles refer to the movement of chemical elements between living (biotic) and nonliving (abiotic) forms in the environment. Although many elements undergo this type of cycling to some extent, four elements
—
carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur
—
are most commonly discussed because of their importance (along with hydrogen and oxygen) for living organisms. The extent and rate of the cycling of these elements has important consequences, such as influencing the amount of phosphate available to forests and the ability of the oceans to slow down global warming by absorbing carbon dioxide.
Common Compounds
All the elements that undergo ...