Primary Production: From Inorganic to Organic Carbon

Abstract

Biogeochemistry, a branch of Earth System Sciences, focusses on the two-way interactions between organisms and their environment, including the cycling of energy and elements and the functioning of organisms and ecosystems. To this end, physical, chemical, biological and geological processes are studied using field observations, experiments, modelling and theory. The discipline of biogeochemistry has grown to such an extent that sub-disciplines have emerged. Consequently, producing a single comprehensive textbook covering all aspects, e.g., terrestrial, freshwater and marine domains, biogeochemical cycles and budgets of the major biological relevant elements, reconstruction of biogeochemical cycles in the past, earth system modelling, microbiological, organic and inorganic geochemical methods, theory and models, has become unworkable. This book provides a concise treatment of the main concepts in ocean carbon cycling research. It focusses on marine biogeochemical processes impacting the cycling of particulate carbon, in particular organic carbon. Other biogeochemical processes impacting nitrogen, phosphorus, sulphur, etc., and the identity of the organisms involved are only covered where needed to understand carbon biogeochemistry. Moreover, chemical and biological processes relevant to carbon cycling are central, i.e. for physical processes, the reader might consult the excellent ocean biogeochemical dynamics textbooks of Sarmiento and Gruber (2006; Princeton University Press) and Williams and Follows (2011; Cambridge University Press). My text aims to provide graduate students in marine and earth sciences a conceptual understanding of ocean carbon biogeochemistry, so that they are better equipped to read palaeorecords, can improve carbon biogeochemical models and generate more accurate projections of the functioning of the future ocean. Because the book is targeted at students having a background in environmental and earth sciences, some basic biological concepts are explained. Some basic understanding of calculus is expected. Simple mathematical models are used to highlight the most important factors governing carbon cycling in the ocean. The material here is based on a selection of lectures in my Utrecht University master course on Microbes and Biogeochemical Cycles. This first draft of this book was written during a three-month sabbatical stay at Department of Geosciences, Princeton University (April–June 2018). I thank Bess Ward, chair of that department, for providing a desk and a stimulating environment. This sabbatical stay was supported by a travel grant from the Netherlands Earth System Science Centre. I thank Bernie Boudreau for carefully scrutinizing the initial draft, Mathilde Hagens and Karline Soetaert for feedback on Chap. 5 and Anna de Kluijver for remarks on Chap. 6. Ton Markus improved my draft figures. Finally, I thank my wife and publisher Petra van Steenbergen.