Previous Year Question

In an ecosystem, essential elements and nutrients continuously move between living organisms and their physical environment. This process is called a Biogeochemical Cycle.

In the term Biogeochemical—

Bio represents living components, Geo represents the Earth or physical environment, and Chemical represents chemical elements.

In these cycles, nutrients move among the atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere and living organisms.

The Carbon Cycle, Nitrogen Cycle, Phosphorus Cycle and Water Cycle are major examples.

Unlike energy, which mainly flows in one direction through an ecosystem, matter and nutrients are continuously recycled. Nutrients present in dead organisms are made available again by decomposers and can then be reused by producers.