Question

Briefy describe three aspects of nutrient cycles.

Answer 1

The three aspects of nutrient cycling are:

(i) Input of nutrients - An ecosystem receives the nutrients from an external source. It stores them for further use through biological processes.

(ii) Output of nutrients - Nutrients move out of an ecosystem and many of them become input to another ecosystem.

(iii) Internal nutrient cycling - Nutrients are continuously regenerated and stored in soil in forms available to plants. This is done by decomposers by the process of decomposition of detritus.