Element cycling is the breakdown of organic matter into its constituent elements for re-use in the ecosystem.
The figure at right is a generalized diagram of carbon transformation in wetlands (Mitsch and Gosselink 1993).
Structures that affect element cycling:
Plankton
Scrub-Shrub Forest
Emergent Marsh
Mud/Sand Flat
Submerged Aquatic Vegetation
Shallow Slope
Deep Channel
Ecosystem functions that are affected by element cycling:
Water Quality Maintenance
