Unit 1 Test Flashcards
Biogeochemical cycle
The movement of nutrients and other elements between biotic and abiotic factors.
Hydrosphere
The sum of Earth’s water, in the ocean, the ground, on the surface, and in the air.
CHNOPS
Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Phosphorus, and Sulfur.
Carbon cycle
The process that moves carbon between plants, animals, and microbes; minerals in the earth; and the atmosphere.
Carbon sink
Absorbs carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. The ocean, soil and forests are the world’s largest carbon sinks.
Carbon store
To capture CO2 produced by burning coal in power stations, compress it, pipe it away from the plant and then store it deep underground.
Carbon source
Anything that releases more carbon into the atmosphere than it absorbs.
Nitrogen cycle
Nitrogen is converted into multiple chemical forms
Eutrophication
Excessive plant and algal growth due to the increased availability of one or more limiting growth factors needed for photosynthesis.
Phosphorus cycle
The transformation and translocation of phosphorus in soil, water, and living and dead organic material.
Sulfur cycle
Describes the movement of sulfur through the geosphere and biosphere.
Autotroph
An organism that can produce its own food using light, water, carbon dioxide, or other chemicals.
Foundation species
A species that has a large contribution towards creating a habitat/ecosystem that support other species.
Keystone species
An organism that helps define an entire ecosystem.
Climax community
The “endpoint” of succession within the context of a particular climate and geography.
