BIOS 230 Flashcards: Nutrient Cycling and Biogeochemical Cycles

Flashcards covering key vocabulary terms related to nutrient cycling, biogeochemical cycles, and the hydrologic cycle.

Microbivores

Feed on bacteria and fungi; secondary consumers of detritus

Mineralization

Transformation of nutrients contained in organic compounds into inorganic forms.

Net mineralization rate

Rate of mineralization minus nutrients used by the decomposers; represents nutrient availability for plant uptake.

Decomposition experiments

Ecological experiments that follow the decay of dead plant and animal tissues through time using litterbags.

Cellulose and hemicellulose

Structurally complex carbon compound requiring more energy to break bonds, found in straw (60% of total carbon).

Lignins

Very large and complex molecules found in plant cell walls and woody tissues in straw (25% of total carbon).

Biogeochemical cycles (nutrient cycles)

The cyclical pathways by which a given nutrient moves through the environment.

Gaseous biogeochemical cycles

Nutrient cycles where the main pools of nutrients are the atmosphere and the oceans.

Sedimentary biogeochemical cycles

Nutrient cycles where the main pool of nutrients is the soil, rocks, and minerals.

Evaporation

Water moves from aquatic and land systems into the atmosphere.

Transpiration

Release of water vapor by plants.

Sublimation

Snow or ice directly converts into water vapors without converting into liquid water.

Evapotranspiration

Evaporation + Transpiration; the total amount of evaporating water from the surfaces of the ground and vegetation (80-90% is terrestrial evapotranspiration).

Condensation

Water vapor condenses and forms cloud

Precipitation

Water returns to Earth’s surface as rain or snow

Runoff

Water runs over the surface of earth into rivers, lakes, and oceans.

Infiltration

Water infiltrates into the soil and forms groundwater.

Groundwater

Water found underground beneath layers of soil.

Aquifers

Underground reservoirs of sponge-like rock and soil that hold water.