Question

What would happen to plants and animals on Earth if the biogeochemical cycles were disrupted and stopped? Explain by giving a few examples.

Answer 1

If biogeochemical cycles stop, essential nutrients would not be recycled and life could not continue. For example, if the nitrogen cycle stopped, plants would not get usable nitrogen compounds, so crops and animals would starve; if the carbon cycle stopped, dead matter would not decompose and photosynthesis/respiration would become unbalanced; if the water or oxygen cycles stopped, freshwater and breathable oxygen would be depleted.