Stoichiometric Aspects of Nutrient Recycling

Nutrient recycling plays a very important role in all terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. The rate of this recycling depends on many biogeochemical features of ecosystems and climate factors. However, the principal factors are related to stoichiometric aspects. 

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Stoichiometric aspects of nutrient recycling in terrestrial ecosystems Despite new inputs of nutrients due to atmospheric deposition and chemical weathering, the major part of biogeochemical nutrient fluxes in terrestrial ecosystems is originating from the decomposition of dead material in the litterf all and soil (see Chapter 3). 

Stoichiometric aspects of nutrient recycling in aquatic ecosystems... 

Discuss the stoichiometric aspects of nutrient recycling in terrestrial ecosystems using carbon and nitrogen cycles as the example. 

The water cycle is typical of the global biogeochemical cycles, wbicb description is given in more detail in Chapters 3 4. The interaction of cycles and stoichiometric aspects of nutrient uptake (and nutrient limitation of production), stoichoimetric aspects of nutrient recycling, thermodynamics as applicable to bacterial energetics (and the use of different electron acceptors), etc. are elucidated in Chapter 5. 

Thus, the purpose of this chapter is to consider the interactions of biogeochemical cycles of various essential elements. The main attention will be given to (i) the stoichiometric aspects of nutrient uptake and nutrient limitations of living matter production, (ii) stoichiometric problems of nutrient recycling, and (iii) thermodynamics of bacterial energenic process. 

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