Nutrient cycling North Raja Ampat, West Papua, Indo- nesia Fallen mangrove leaves add detritus to the soil.

© 2010 Jürgen Freund/ iLCP

Primary production Contoy Island National Park, Mexico Sea snail eating algae. Algae transform sunlight and nutrients into biomass, constituting the base of the food chain

in aquatic ecosystems. © 2006 Claudio Contreras Koob/ iLCP

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