Question

What is a biogeochemical cycle? What is the role of the reservoir in a biogeochemical cycle? Give an example of a sedimentary cycle with reservoir located in earth’s crust.

Answer 1

Biogeochemical cycle:

Biogeochemical cycle is the cyclic movement of the nutrients through the various components of the ecosystem.

Role of Reservoir:

Reservoir stores the nutrients and releases it to the cycling pool. It balances the rate of influx and efflux of the nutrients.

Sedimentary cycle:

Sedimentary cycle has the reservoir pool located in the lithosphere.

Example :- Phosphorus cycle.



● Rocks are the reservoir pool and during weathering the phosphorus is added to the soil.

● Phosphorus is used as phosphate by the plants.

● Plants take up the phosphates and convert it into organic compounds which pass to the consumers through the food chain.

● Excretion and dead organisms are acted upon by the decomposers and the phosphorus is released back into the soil.