Biogeochemical Cycles - AP® Environmental Science Definition

What does the term biogeochemical cycle mean?

In In AP® Environmental Science, biogeochemical cycles are the natural ways that essential chemicals and elements like carbon, nitrogen, water, and phosphorus move between the Earth's spheres, which are the biosphere, the lithosphere, the hydrosphere, and the atmosphere.

Why are biogeochemical cycles important?

Understanding these cycles is important for understanding how:

• Ecosystems function and maintain balance.

• Human activities can impact these processes.

Examples of biogeochemical cycles

These cycles include biological, geological, and chemical processes.

• Chemical processes such as the carbon and nitrogen cycles.

• Biological processes, like photosynthesis and respiration, within energy cycling.

• Geological processes, like soil weathering and sedimentation.

This makes it possible for the Earth to keep using and recycling important nutrients and elements.