Fig. 5.2.1: Nutrient cycling (biogeochemical cycling) in a closed natural ecosystem (left) and a crop production system (right) in which humans must replace exported nutrients from soils through the use of plant residues, manure, and other soil fertility inputs. The magnitude of soil nutrient losses in flows such as erosion, leaching, and nitrogen gas emissions from soils tends to also be greater in the cropped system than the losses from soils found in natural systems. The relationships of crop management to nutrient cycling will recur in greater detail in Module 7 with the concept of an agroecosystem.
Originally uploaded in Integrate:Teaching for Sustainability:InTeGrate Modules:Future of Food:Student Materials.
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