ENVS195 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Water Cycle, Lithosphere, Main Source
15 Jun 2015
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Document Summary
Matter cycles among components of the ecosphere. The biological,chemical, and geological processes and components by which materials cycle through ecosystems. Generalized models of these cycles help us represent the complexity o earth"s processes. 97% of organic mass composed of six nutrients. Speed of cycling and the relative proportion of nutrients in each compartment varies greatly across different ecosystems. Speed of cycling may also change within a cycle, depending on season and type of nutrient. Residence time: the typical length of time something stays in one compartment. Cycles can be classified according to the main source of their matter. Gaseous cycles have most of their matter held in the atmosphere. Sedimentary cycles hold most of their matter in the lithoshere. Elements in sedimentary cycles tend to cycle slower than those in gaseous cycles. Elements may be locked in geological ormations. Atmosphere to plants to animals then back to the atmosphere.
