Preview

Human Impacts on the Carbon, Nitrogen and Phosphorus Cycles

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
1014 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Human Impacts on the Carbon, Nitrogen and Phosphorus Cycles
Human Impact on the Carbon, Nitrogen, and Phosphorus Cycles
Danielle Abbadusky
Everest University

Human impact on the cycling matter in ecosystems can change a lot of things. Humans can either help or hurt things. The carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus cycles are the three cycles of matter in ecosystems. What are these cycles? How do humans effect each one of these individual cycles? What are some examples of humans effecting these cycles? What is the carbon cycle? “Sequence of processes through which carbon compounds move from one carbon reservoir or sink (such as forests and oceans) to another (such as atmosphere) and back. Since more carbon dioxide is being released into the atmosphere through the burning of fossil fuels and less is being 'fixed' (converted into organic compounds through photosynthesis by plants) because of the destruction of tropical forests, the carbon cycle is in danger or being severely disrupted. International accords such as Kyoto protocol are trying to limit the production of carbon dioxide (and other greenhouse gases) through the imposition of emission controls.”(Carbon Cycle, n.d.) Human intervention on this cycle is very important. Human impact on this cycle is hurting due to that humans are trying to suit and meet their own needs and wants. With humans burning fossil fuels they have added atmospheric carbon dioxide over 35% in preindustrial levels. Deforestation and soil degradation have put a lot of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Since humans have been replanting trees and changed their ways of agriculture, this has helped this matter in several ways. What is the nitrogen cycle? “Continuous natural cycle of biological, chemical, and geological processes by which nitrogen is circulated in the Earth's environment. Although the most plentiful element in atmosphere (78 percent by volume, compared to 21 percent of oxygen), nitrogen cannot be used directly by most living things unless it is converted ('fixed,' see nitrogen



References: Carbon Cycle (n.d.) In Business Dictionary retrieved October 27, 2012 from, http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/carbon-cycle.html CliffsNotes.com. The Phosphorus Cycle. 28 Oct 2012 http://www.cliffsnotes.com/study_guide/topicArticleId-23791,articleId-23786.html. Nitrogen Cycle (n.d.) In Business Dictionary retrieved October 27, 2012 from http://www.businessdictionary.com/definition/nitrogen-cycle.html

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    SCI203 Phase 3 Lab Report

    • 522 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Carbon dioxide is naturally present in the atmosphere as part of the Earth 's carbon cycle. Yet human-related emissions are responsible for the increase in CO2 emissions. The use of electricity accounts for 37% of total U.S. emissions, while transportation 31%, industry accounts for 15%, residential and commercial 10%, and other non-fossil fuel combustion 6%. That is 99% of the total globe greenhouse gas emissions. Carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions in the United States increased by about 7% between 1990 and 2013. (EPA, 2015) Not leaving out pollution also a contributor of increases in anthropogenic CO2. These things are the cause of the earth heating up, or global warming. Trees and plants help soak up the CO2 in the atmosphere but with the tearing down of trees to build industry buildings, residential and commercial buildings there are fewer trees and plants to take in CO2 for photosynthesis.…

    • 522 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    science

    • 251 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Describe the function of the ecosystem: How do the abiotic and biotic components interact in biogeochemical cycles? Describe both the carbon and nitrogen cycles…

    • 251 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    *The nitrogen cycle converts atmospheric nitrogen into a usable form for plants and animals, and then reconverts it to the atmospheric form.…

    • 744 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Mankind had many impacts throughout history economically and socially. One significant impact that arose because of changing economic and social pleasures was the effect mankind had on the environment. Mankind’s impact on the environment changes from the Agricultural Revolution through the 19th century in that man destroys more of the environment as industrialization progresses. Industrialization of the environment started out small with…

    • 657 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The carbon cycle is based on carbon dioxide which is a very important element because it is a part of all life. All living things are made of elements such as oxygen, carbon, hydrogen, nitrogen, calcium, and phosphorus. There are such compounds that are necessary for life such as sugars, fats, proteins etc. that joins with carbon to form these essential elements. Carbon is not just in all living things; carbon is also present in the earth’s atmosphere, soils, crust, and oceans. When we look at earth as a system, these components act as storage for large amounts of carbon and when there is movement between these storages, they connect to create cycles. An example of such cycle is photosynthesis in which the carbon in the atmosphere is used to create new plant material. Over time, these plants die or decay, are harvested by humans, or burned for energy or in wildfires. All these processes, which are movements that can cycle carbon back into the atmosphere, are amongst various components within the ecosystems, and after a while releases the carbon back into the atmosphere. Humans breathe oxygen in which plants breathe carbon dioxide and releases oxygen and when human’s burn trees and other solid carbon deposits into the atmosphere, the plants that breathe the CO2 can’t keep up and the CO2 is building up. While the CO2 builds up fast since the past hundreds of years, it traps solar heat and increases the global temperature rapidly. This is not good for humans and if this chain reaction continues, who knows if humans will be able to deal with the ultimate temperature change.…

    • 858 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Human are the ones putting a huge impact on the carbon cycle. Humans are tearing apart important animal territory. they are tearing down trees and moving plants, in order to add house, expand and make buisneses. Since they are expanding the area and then bringing in more humans in return we use more of our fossil fuels increasing the carbon dioxide into the air. For example just recently near my house the were adding on to the hospital. That involves clearing out acres and acres of land just to begin the process of laying foundation. While doing this the construction companies used a lot of heavy machinery that released carbon dioxide into the air. Once construction was complete they did replant some plants and trees all around the building and parking lot, not as many as there were but they at least attempted to add some back in the area.…

    • 511 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Nitrogen cycle has similarities to the carbon cycle and the phosphorus cycle. Both carbon and nitrogen cycles both have gas phases, and Phosphorus and Nitrogen act with limited factors. Nitrogen is a primary nutrient critical for the survival of all the living organisms, although nitrogen needs help to combine with other elements. Although nitrogen is in numerous supply in the atmosphere it is not available for use to plants, but it can be convert from dinitogen gas into ammonia so that plants may use it.…

    • 523 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Both human and physical factors impact upon ecosystems due to their holistic nature which means that even small changes in the human or physical environment around them can cause an exponential chain of results. However these factors can be both positive and negative to varying degrees.…

    • 911 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Nutrient cycle

    • 526 Words
    • 3 Pages

    A nutrient cycle (or ecological recycling) is the movement and exchange of organic and inorganic matter back into the production of living matter. The process is regulated by food web pathways that decompose matter into mineral nutrients. Nutrient cycles occur within ecosystems. Ecosystems are interconnected systems where matter and energy flows and is exchanged as organisms feed, digest, and migrate about. Minerals and nutrients accumulate in varied densities and uneven configurations across the planet. Ecosystems recycle locally, converting mineral nutrients into the production of biomass, and on a larger scale they participate in a global system of inputs and outputs where matter is exchanged and transported through a larger system of biogeochemical cycles.…

    • 526 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The carbon cycle is one of the cycles of the earth. As the name suggests, the carbon cycle is the cycle of carbon in its compound form. There are multiple ways the cycle starts. One of them starts with plants:…

    • 741 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Nitrogen cycle is a cycle made up of the carbon and phosphorus cycles. Nitrogen has a gas phase. Nitrogen is otherwise unique. Unlike the other cycle’s bacteria in the soils, water and sediments perform many of the steps of the nitrogen cycle. Human benefit with this cycle also as well it helps crops that are on the farm. This cycle is a big part of the ecosystem.…

    • 365 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    The carbon cycle starts with the reservoir of the carbon dioxide in the air, the carbon atoms move from carbon dioxide through photosynthesis into atoms of organic molecules that form the plants body. These carbon atoms are then further metabolized and are eaten and turned into tissue that all organisms in the ecosystem use. Half of the atoms are respired by the plants and animals and half are deposited back into the soil in the form of dead animal and plant matter, which are eaten by decomposers and transformed back into carbon dioxide. Humans impact this cycle because we are removing so much of the photosynthetic efforts of the plants in order to support our enterprises, we are “diverting 40% of the photosynthetic productivity of land plants to support human enterprises,” (pg 67). Two examples of our harmful tendencies are burning fossil fuels which has increased atmospheric carbon dioxide “35% over preindustrial levels,” (pg. 67) and logging. These both are being used naturally by the ecosystem and the lack of these resources causes stress and strain to keep the balance. At the rate it is going carbon to complete its cycle from the atmosphere through one or more living organism and back to the atmosphere happens about every 6 years.…

    • 645 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Humans have contributed to phosphorous entering the oceans and increase the phosphorous cycle to go faster. Once the phosphorous leaves the soil it will not return and causes pollution in the ocean killing animals in the ocean. The nitrogen cycle occurs there are bacteria in the soils, water and sediments. Nitrogen is a must have a requirement for water and land plants. Humans are important contributors to the nitrogen cycle. Not only do humans increase the nitrogen rate but also in crops that are grown and nitrogen is in more of the non-leguminous crops. In an opinion it is hard in some cases for humans depend on transportation and this is one of the ways they contribute to…

    • 460 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Phosphorus Cycle Project

    • 516 Words
    • 3 Pages

    It is also one of the slowest biogeochemical cycles. Over long periods of rocks being weathered they begin to let out phosphate ions, after the phosphate ions are released they are distributed into the soil and water. Plants begin to take up the phosphate ions that were released by the rocks are are eaten by the animals. After the animals eat the plants that have the phosphate ions in them they eventually die and when they are decomposed the ions are released back into the soil. Phosphorus is needed for every living organism to grow and function. It is found in DNA and RNA materials and in ATP which is the energy stored in cells. Humans return the phosphorus into the earth from our waste. When we return the phosphorus back to the earth it cycles back through again and again…

    • 516 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    The nitrogen cycle

    • 597 Words
    • 3 Pages

    The nitrogen cycle is the process by which nitrogen is converted between its various chemical forms. This transformation can be carried out through both biological and physical processes. Important processes in the nitrogen cycle include fixation, ammonification, nitrification, and denitrification. The majority of Earth's atmosphere (78%) is nitrogen, making it the largest pool of nitrogen. However, atmospheric nitrogen has limited availability for biological use, leading to a scarcity of usable nitrogen in many types of ecosystems. The nitrogen cycle is of particular interest to ecologists because nitrogen availability can affect the rate of key ecosystem processes, including primary production and decomposition. Human activities such as fossil fuel combustion, use of artificial nitrogen fertilizers, and release of nitrogen in wastewater have dramatically altered the global nitrogen cycle.…

    • 597 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays