INTRODUCTION TO NUTRIENT CYCLES

INTRODUCTION TO NUTRIENT CYCLES : 

INTRODUCTION TO NUTRIENT CYCLES The Law of conservation of Energy states that Energy can neither be created nor destroyed, it can only transform from one type to another. This statement specifies that the energy that we get while eating does not at all disappear when we use our muscular energy to do work. This gives us the idea of energy flow in the eco-system. This brings up the new important factor , that is the cycling of matter, which is the cycling of various nutrients. This means that all the substances needed by us were already present on the lithosphere. Any substance if consumed by us, will be back in the nature in some or the other way.

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Producers Green plants chemotrophs Decomposers Bacteria, fungi Consumers (herbivores and carnivores) Abiotic chemicals (Carbon dioxide, oxygen, nitrogen, minerals) Energy Flowchart

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MICRONUTRIENTS AND MACRONUTRIENTS All requirements of organisms are classified as micronutrients and macronutrients. The macronutrients are needed in relatively large quantities. These are sometimes called ‘the big six’, namely, carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus and sulphur. Others are needed in relatively small amounts for specific functions and are called micronutrients, like calcium, iron, e.t.c. In the nutrient or biogeochemical cycles we shall look at the process of recycling of Nitrogen and Phosphorus.

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A Food Chain