ENWC314 Chapter Notes - Chapter 16: Sulfur Cycle, Phosphorus Cycle, Nutrient Cycle

• School: University of Delaware
• Department: Entomology and Wildlife Conservation
• Course: ENWC314
• Professor: York Joanna

Document Summary

Other essential elements, such as phosphorus and potassium, come from the soil or water these elements are classified as macronutrients, which are needed in large amounts and micronutrients, which are needed in very small amounts. Macronutrients can be broken down into 2 more groups: primary and secondary macronutrients the primary macronutrients are nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium the secondary macronutrients are calcium, magnesium and sulfur. When we look at nutrient cycles, we begin by considering the whole ecosystem as a machine processing nutrients, rather than looking at separate species and individuals: global nutrient cycles. Nutrient cycles may be subdivided into two broad types. The phosphorus cycle is an example of a sedimentary or local cycle, which operates within an ecosystem. Local cycles involve the less-mobile elements that have no mechanism for long-distance transfer. Gaseous cycles of nitrogen, carbon, oxygen, and water are called global cycles because they involve exchanges between the atmosphere and the ecosystem (volatile elements)