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Article: Biogeochemical Cycles
- Article from:
- Plant Sciences
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2001 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)
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Biogeochemical Cycles
Nutrients are elements that plants require for growth. In most terrestrial
ecosystems
, a lack of essential nutrients may limit plant primary productivity. Net primary productivity (NPP), other ecosystem processes, and ecosystem structure and function may be best understood by examining and studying the cycles of these nutrients. To trace the movement of a nutrient
—
such as nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), sulfur (S), or carbon (C)
—
as it travels between the living (biotic) and nonliving (abiotic) components of an ecosystem is to trace its biogeochemical cycle.
The Phosphorus Cycle
A generalized biogeochemical cycle of phosphorus, for example, starts with ...