Biogeochemistry is the scientific discipline that involves the study of the
chemical,
physical,
geological, and
biological processes and reactions that govern the composition of the natural environment (including the
biosphere, the
hydrosphere, the
pedosphere, the
atmosphere, and the
lithosphere). In particular, biogeochemistry is the study of the
cycles of
chemical elements, such as
carbon and
nitrogen, and their interactions with and incorporation into
living things transported through earth scale biological systems in space through time. The field focuses on chemical cycles which are either driven by or have an impact on biological activity. Particular emphasis is placed on the study of
carbon,
nitrogen,
sulfur, and
phosphorus cycles. Biogeochemistry is a
systems science closely related to
systems ecology.