cycle questions Flashcards
What is the largest carbon reservoir?
the ocean
Is the carbon cycle long or short?
Has both short-term and long-term components.
What is the importance of carbon?
Carbon is the building block to all life forms (DNA, proteins)
What are two methods of carbon cycle transport?
photosynthesis and respiration
Burning fossil fuels is most involved in which cycle?
carbon
What is the largest reservoir of phosphorus?
sedimentary rock
Is phosphorus a short or long-term cycle?
long-term
The phosphorus cycle does not occur in the _________
atmosphere
What are 3 main steps of the phosphorus cycle?
weathering, decomposition, and absorption
What is nitrogen fixation?
N2 is converted into ammonia (NH3)
What is dentrification?
Nitrate (NO3-) into N2 and back into the atmosphere
What is nitrification?
Ammonium (NH4+) is converted into nitrite (NO2-)
What is ammonification?
Decomposers release ammonia/ammonium (NH3 and NH4+)
What is the difference between a sink and a reservoir?
A sink is a process that removes a substance from the atmosphere.
What is a generalist?
one that can thrive in a wide range of environmental conditions and utilize a variety of resources.
What is a specialist?
one adapted to a narrow range of environmental conditions and has a limited diet.
What is an indicator?
an organism whose presence, absence, or abundance reflects a specific environmental condition.
What is a keystone species?
a species on which other species in an ecosystem largely depend
What is a foundational species?
the “base” of an ecosystem that plays a crucial role in maintaining the structure of an ecological community.
What is the definition of terrestrial?
relating to earth or its inhabitants
What is the least productive biome?
Tundra and deserts
What is assimilation?
when producers take up and absorb usable nitrogen
