ESSENTIAL ELEMENTS AND PRIMARY

PRODUCTIVITY

By:

EKO EFENDI

INTRODUCTIONEssential elements that elements are recognized as essential

components of plants and animals.

depend on the source of element and as which form can taken by

organisms:

non-mineral elementsmineral elements

Essential elements

essential mineral elements beneficial mineral elements

periodic table marked with essential and beneficial elements

based on the relative concentrations in the plant tissue:

Essential elements

Micro-nutrientsMacro-nutrients

* This does not mean that one nutrient element is more important

than another

Availability and natural cycle of essential elements

Availability refer to the source and amount of

element .

natural cycle is the natural circulation pathways

through the atmosphere, hydrosphere, geo-sphere,

and bio-sphere.

the general components of the natural cycle of the essential

elements

Tube feet anus

NITROGEN (N) 79% of the atmosphere.

required for amino-groups found in proteins or

nucleic acids.

in marine ecosystem found as N2(gas), NO3-N,

NO2-N, NH3-N, NH4-N, and N-organic and particulate.

inter to the marine from ;

diffusion fixation degradation runoff

Speciation of nitrogen (N) in the sea water determined by

existence of dissolved oxygen.

Nitrification

NO3

Denitrification

Pseudomonas sp.

nitrobacter

Nitrocystis oceanus

NH3-N NO2

aerobic case

anaerobic case

NH3-N NO3

NO3-N + CO2 (CH2O)n + O2

chlorophyll

light

chlorophyllNH4-N + CO2 (CH2O)n + O2

light

photosynthesisrespiration

The Nitrogen cycle ,units = megatons (106 tons)

Lightning + N2 + O2 NO + O2 Nitrate (NO3)

Pathways of nitrogen in marine surface sediments

PHOSPHORUS (P)In the earth's biosphere exist no gaseous and also no

reducing phosphor compounds.

in aquatic ecosystems exist as dissolved and particles of

inorganic and organic forms.

main source in the sea;

Runoff (detergents) degradation organic materials

*In aquatic ecosystems, phosphate produce orto-P as result

of hydrlization

H3PO4 H+ + H2Po4_

H+ + HPo42- (orto-P)

H+ + Po43-

This reaction can produce;

1% = H2PO4-

87% = HPO42-

12% = PO43-

at salinity 35 ‰, pH 8.0, and temperature 20 Cº

The Phosphorous Cycle

PLAND

soil

fertilizer

pollution

runoffupper ocean

P sediments

upwelling

uptake

byphytoplankton

zooplankton

fishbirdsfly over land

feces

Pathways of phosphorus in marine ecosystem

sulfur (S)In the earth's biosphere exist no gaseous and also no

reducing sulphate compounds

Gaseous sulfur compounds (SO2 ) and (H2S) are rare

important climatic feedbacks and socioeconomic problems

(sulfur cycle in general, acid rain and smog)

anthropogenic emissions =

75% of the total sulfur

emissions

90% occurring in the

northern hemisphere

The major sulfur gases include sulfur dioxide (SO2),

dimethyl sulfide (CH3SCH3 or DMS), carbonyl sulfide (OCS),

and hydrogen sulfide (H2S)

Natural sulfur sources

volcanoes Thermal vents

Known Black Smoker locations

The Sulfur cycle ,units = megatons (106 tons)

SILICON (Si)Earth (35%) a large iron component and the

composition of the crust is 28% silicon

to become available for biological activity, the

silicate rocks must be broken down (weathering)

The dominant form of Si weathering

2NaAlSi3 O8 + 2H2CO3 + 9H2O 2Na+ + 2HCO3- + Al2Si2O5(OH)4 + 4H4SiO4

olivine (FeMgSiO4) dissolution in the water to release Fe, Mg and Si

Silicon in the aquatic ecosystem, is a result of:

land derived material hydrothermal activities

biogeochemical equilibrium of dissolved silicon in the

sea water:

Input (x 1014 g SiO2/ year) Output (x 1014 g SiO2/ year)

Process Value Process Value

Input from rivers

Decay (autoton)

Hydrothermal activities

4.3

0.9

5.7

Minerals sedimentation and residue organisms in the

sediment

Adsorption by river particulate matter

10.4

0.4

Total 10.9 Total 10.8

Compounds or species represented SiO2 In the sea water are;

Dissolved H4SiO4 or orto-silicate as ± 20% from total silicate.

Amorphous SiO2nH2O.

Complex as clay mineral (± 70%);

Montmorillonite : NaAl8Si12O20 (OH)6

Illite : KAl5Si7O(OH)4

Kaolinit : Al2 Si2O5(OH)4

Chlorite : Mg5Al2Si3O10(OH)8

Sepiolite : Mg2Si3O6(OH)4

Sodium feldspar : NaAlSi3O8

Potassium feldspar : KAlSi3O8

The silicon pathways; (A) in general, (B) in the ocean

(A) (B)

Iron(Fe) Iron (Fe) limits primary productivity

in oceanic regions characterized by

high-nitrate and low-chlorophyll

(HNLC).

Fe may also affect many oceanic

biological processes, including

nitrogen fixation.

The major source of Fe in the open

ocean is soil dust transported from the

atmosphere.

other processes, such as upwelling

of deep water, also contribute.

Global distribution of (a) the annual mean soluble Fe flux (μmol m-2 yr-1) and (b) Fe

solubility (%) over the ocean, from H. Yang and Y. Gao (2007)

Aeolian Dust

Carbon(C)The atmospheric CO2 concentration has significantly

increased from about 280 ppm in 1800 (the beginning of the

industrial age) to 380 ppm today.

Recent research has tried to estimate the sources and sinks

of carbon from data and According to these studies,the

ocean acts as a major sink for anthropogenic CO2.

The Carbon Cycle

Ocean Carbon Cycle(C)Typically broken down into two components:

I. solubility pump

II. biological pump

*The distributions of circulation patterns (e.g. eddies) and

biomass are highly correlated

utilizing carbon DIC

surface ocean p CO2uptake from atmosphere

Nickel (Ni) plays numerous roles in the biology of microorganisms

and plants.

urease (an enzyme which assists in the hydrolysis of urea)

contains nickel.

Transport Ni2+ in water column, through:

I. Adsorption:

small particle size (0.2 – 20 µm) can adsorb and transport ±

80%.

II. scavenging bonds with Fe-Mn (oxide and hydroxide).

In estuarine water is relative high as a result of waste

discarding such as battery and electroplating, from

human activities.

between 1-3 µg/l in the natural water, while in polluted

water founded about 10-15 µg/l.

estimated that 3,000 of the hundreds of thousands of

proteins in the human body contain zinc prosthetic groups.

Zinc is an activator of certain enzymes, such as carbonic

anhydrase,which is important in the transport of carbon

dioxide in vertebrate blood.

required in plants for leaf formation.

Transport Zn in aquatic ecosystems, through adsorption by

suspended solid materials:

I. River 75%.

II. estuarine water 36%.

In natural brackish water 0.5-15 mg/l, and in the sea water

0.4-5 mg/l, while sediment consist 50 mg/kg.

Zinc (Zn)

Copper (Cu) In the bloodstream as a co-factor in

various enzymes.

Most molluscs and some arthropods

such as the horseshoe crab use the

copper-containing pigment hemocyanin

for oxygen transport, so their blood is

blue when oxygenated rather than red.

In the sea water found as particulates,

colloids, and dissolved forms,

dissolved form can be as free ion Cu2+

and tying as a good complex with

organic and inorganic ligands (Cu OH-,

Cu2 (OH)22+).

Main Cu-complex bond with organic

ligands is that bond with humus

materials and this complex bond about

90% in brackish water, while in the sea

water 10%.

Productivity of water Photosynthesis results in the production of high-energy

organic materials from carbon dioxide and water plus

inorganic nutrients.

all phytoplankton species require certain inorganic

substances to carry out photosynthesis, including sources of

nitrogen, phosphorus, and iron (also silica for diatoms) which

may be in concentrations that are low enough to be limiting

to plant production.

phytoplankton standing stock in the surface layers of the

sea ranges from less than 1 mg ch. a m-3 -20 mg m-3

Regional primary productivity,<50 to >600 g C m-2 year-1

Total primary productivity of the world ocean is about 40 x

109 tones year-1

Global ocean productivity (phytoplankton)

Primary production

Typical CNP Composition of Ocean

Water (Redfield Ratio 106 C : 16 N : 1 P)

C 42400 mg/m3 / 106 = 400 units C

N 480 mg/m3 / 16 = 30 units N

P 50 mg/m3 / 1 = 50 units P

There is ample C, but N and P will be

quickly exhausted.

General producers