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Biochemical Cycle and its Environmental Impact

           Environmental science is a critical aspect of human life since it is responsible for the understanding how to balance the atmospheric components. Consequently, the biochemical cycle is the reprocessing of inorganic matter that happens between the living organism and their nonliving environment. The process involves elements such as carbon, nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygen, phosphorus, and Sulphur. This essay, therefore, discusses the biochemical cycle of carbon, phosphorus, and nitrogen. Additionally, it elucidates the impact and influence of humans in the aforementioned elements – carbon, phosphorus, and nitrogen.

Part A: Carbon Dynamics in the Environment and Human Influences

         Movement of Carbon in the Environment by Geological Process, and Biotic Influences

           Geologic carbon exists in two environments – water and land. The atmospheric carbon dissolves in water and consequently reacts with the water molecules to produce a carbonate. As a result, the produced carbonate reacts calcium ion to form calcium carbonate – a fundamental constituent of the shell in marine organisms. When the organism dies, its components settle on and become the ocean beds. Over time, geologic, the deposits transform to limestone – the primary carbon holder in the globe. On land, the carbo stored in the soil is either organic – from the decomposition of living organisms – or inorganic – from weathering of rocks or minerals. Additionally, carbon can also move into the environment through the burning of fossil fuel. Furthermore, it can be moved through volcanic eruptions, which move the underground carbon to the atmosphere. Moreover, it moves from animals to plan and vice versa in the form of carbon dioxide. 

         The Involvement of Feedbacks in the Carbon Cycle Pathways and their Effects on the Concentrations of Carbon Dioxide in various environment. 

           When there is positive feedback in the carbon cycle, there is a decrease in the amount of carbon dioxide in both the land and the ocean. Therefore, there is an enhancement in the carbon dioxide growth rate (Friedlingstein, 2015). On the other hand, in the case of negative feedback, there is an increase in the uptake of carbon dioxide into the environment. Consequently, the feedback leads to the land, the ocean, and the atmosphere experiences an increase in the concentration of carbon dioxide (Friedlingstein, 2015). Moreover, negative feedback decreases the growth rate of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. 

Effects of Humans on Carbon Cycle and to the Reservoirs of Carbon

         One of how human affects the carbon cycle is through the burning of fossil fuel. Typically, fossil fuels are considered as non-renewable resources since their usage is faster than their geological processes of production. The burning releases amount od carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. Consequently, increases in the combustion of fossil fuel increase the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Additionally, Deforestation is another way that human being affects the carbon cycle. The cutting down of the tree affect the carbon consumption by a tree. Therefore, it increases the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Furthermore, change in land use also another way of how humans affect the carbon cycle. It significantly accelerates the movement of underground carbon to the surface and atmosphere. Moreover, human use od limestone for a building is also another that humans affect the carbon cycle. It aids in the depletion of the largest reservoir of carbon

          If we can stop driving our cars today, Humanity will immediately halt the progression of climate change

         The stoppage in the driving of cars may significantly reduce or aid in thwarting the progress of climate change. The amount of carbon emission that is produces through burning fuels when driving cars is considerably large. However, stopping in driving vehicles may not lead to an immediate halt of climate change’s progression. Reason being that several other factors and activities, including industrial combustion of fossils and emission of greenhouse gases that may lead to climate change. 

Part B. Phosphorus and Nitrogen Dynamics and Human Influences On These Cycles

         Features of the Phosphorus and Nitrogen Biogeochemical Cycles and How they are Similar and Different from the Carbon Cycle

         The features of the phosphorus cycle are the tectonic rise and exposure of the rocks that bear phosphorus to the weathering, dissolving phosphorus particles into the river as a result of the physical and chemical weathering of rocks and the transportation of phosphorus to water bodies, and sedimentation. On the other hand, the nitrogen cycle features include nitrogen fixation, nitrification, assimilation, ammonification, and denitrification. These biochemical cycles – carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus cycles – are similar since they all have a chemical reaction and microorganism involvement. However, they differ since they have in the types of organisms involved. 

Influences that Humans can have on Phosphorus and Nitrogen cycles  

In phosphorus, human activities like mining of phosphorus, transportation of fertilizer, use by animals, and agriculture (Bennett, Carpenter, & Caraco, 2001). These human activities increase in the soil and aquatic life hence altering the cycle. Additionally, human activities such as the burning of fossil fuel and the use of nitrogen-based fertilizer significantly upsurge the amount of organic nitrogen in the environment.  

           If we don’t Change Our Demands on Nitrogen and Phosphorus, we will run Out of them in the Near Future

         The biochemical cycle of both nitrogen and phosphorus is continuous, that is influence by the increases in the demand of the elements. In the case of a change in their need, they will not be depleted in the near future since the process is continuous and affected by human use. Therefore, the cycle will continue to produce more to meet the demand.