Unit 1 Flashcards
What is a carbon sink?
Something that absorbs more carbon that it releases (plants, sediment, soil, etc)
What is a carbon source?
Something that adds carbon back into the atmosphere?
What happens during photosynthesis?
Carbon dioxide and water are turned to glucose and oxygen
What happens during cellular respiration?
Sugar and oxygen are used to produce energy, creating carbon dioxide and water and byproducts.
What are sources of carbon?
Decomposition, fossil fuels, cellular respiration, etc.
What is carbon fixation?
The conversion by living organisms of something inorganic to organic by adding carbon dioxide
What is nitrogen fixation?
The conversion by bacteria of atmospheric nitrogen to a form of nitrogen usable by plants (usually ammonia NH3)
What is synthetic fixation?
Humans burning fossil fuels coverts nitrogen N2 to nitrates NO
What is gross primary productivity?
The total rate of photosynthesis in a given area
What is net primary productivity?
The total amount of energy left over for consumers after plants have used some for cellular respiration
What is the taiga like?
It is a snow forest that is considered a forest biome because of its coniferous trees. It is cold, but has frequent snow precipitation.
What is the tundra like?
Tundra is the coldest, and is mostly barren with only a few animals and plants. It is icy and snowy (it also has a very short summer period)
What is the temperate grassland like?
