Cycles In Nature Flashcards
reservoir
a place where a large quantity of a resource sits for a long period of time
biogeochemical cycles
the complex cycles through which nutrients such as carbon,oxygen,nitrogen, phosphorus,sulfur,and water move through the environment
exchange pool
a site where a nutrient sits for only a short period of time
residency time
the amount of time a resource spends in a reservoir or an exchange pool
Law of Conservation Matter
States that matter can neither be created nor destroyed
precipitation
water that condenses in the atmosphere and and falls to the Earth’s surface in liquid or solid form
groundwater
any water that comes from below the ground (from wells or aquifers)
runoff
that portion of rainfall that runs into streams as surface water rather than being absorbed into groundwater or evaporating
evaporation
conversion of liquid into gas (vapor)
transpiation
the act or process of transpiring, or releasing water vapor, especially through the stomata of plant tissue or pores of the skin
respiration
the process by which animals (and plants!) breathe and give off carbon dioxide from cellular metabolism
photosynthesis
the process in green plants and certain other organisms by which carbohydrates are synthesized from carbon dioxide and water using light as an energy source: most forms of photosynthesis release energy as a byproduct
combusted
burned
nitrogen fixation
the conversion of atmospheric nitrogen into compounds, such as ammonia, by natural agencies or various industrial processes
nitrification
the process in which soil bacteria convert ammonium (NH4+) to a form that can be used by plants: nitrate or NO-
3
assimilation 3
the process in which plants absorb ammonium (NH3), ammonia ions (NH4+) , and nitrate ions (NO3) through their roots
ammonification 4
the production of ammonia or ammonium compounds in the decomposition of organic matter, especially through the action of bacteria
Dentrification
the process by which specialized bacteria (mostly anaerobic bacteria) convert ammonia to NO3, NO2, and N2 which are released back into the atmosphere
phosphorus cycle
the cycle through which phosphorus moves through the environment in different forms
limiting factor
any factor that controls a populations growth
terrestrial cycle
the portion of a biogeochemical cycle that takes place on land
eutrophication
warm water becoming overly enriched with minerals and nutrients to the point that excessive growth of algae and other phytoplankton occurs (an algea bloom)
sulfur cycle
the cycle through which sulfur moves through the environment in different forms
