Manganese cycle

The manganese cycle is the biogeochemical cycle of manganese through the atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere and lithosphere. There are bacteria that oxidise manganese to insoluble oxides, and others that reduce it to Mn²⁺ in order to use it.

Manganese is a heavy metal that comprises about 0.1% of the Earth's crust and a necessary element for biological processes. It is cycled through the Earth in similar ways to iron, but with distinct redox pathways. Human activities have impacted the fluxes of manganese among the different spheres of the Earth.