Biogeochemical cycles are crucial to ecosystem function because _____.
A. they keep the planet warm enough for living things to survive
B. nutrients and other life-sustaining molecules are in limited supply and must be continually recycled
C. energy flows through ecosystems in one direction only and is eventually dissipated as heat
D. they remove poisons and keep them locked up in “sinks”
Answer. B. nutrients and other life-sustaining molecules are in limited supply and must be continually recycled
Biogenesis cycles, specifically the carbon, nitrogen, phosphorous and water cycles, are critically important in keeping our ecosystems up and running as they allow for an uninterrupted recycling of vital compounds necessary for life processes to function properly. There are only the limited nutrients and molecules that are extracted from the environment and serve the purpose of the growth and multiplication of living organisms. By biogeochemical cycle nutrients are moved between abiotic and biotic environment of the ecosystems that is how availability and depletion of element are prevented. This dynamics of nutrient recycling sustains productivity of the eco-system and nurtures a very complex network. It might look like the following: Caused by the lack of nutrient cycles, the depletion of nutrients over time will trigger the decay of nature and interaction process failure necessary for life support.
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