Terrestrial Microbial Ecology

These flashcards cover essential vocabulary related to terrestrial microbial ecology, including key terms and their definitions.

Biogeochemical Cycles

Natural processes that recycle nutrients in different chemical forms from the environment to living organisms and back.

Methane Cycle

The biogeochemical cycle that describes the production and consumption of methane (CH4) in the environment.

Gross Photosynthesis

The total amount of photosynthesis occurring in an ecosystem before subtracting the amount of carbon dioxide respired by plants.

Anaerobic Respiration

A type of respiration that occurs in the absence of oxygen, where organic molecules are broken down for energy.

Aerobic Respiration

A process of cellular respiration that requires oxygen to produce energy from organic molecules.

Nitrification

The biological conversion of ammonia (NH3) into nitrite (NO2-) and then into nitrate (NO3-), typically carried out by nitrifying bacteria.

Eutrophication

An increase in the primary productivity of an ecosystem, often due to nutrient pollution leading to excessive growth of algae.

Denitrification

The microbial process through which nitrate (NO3-) is reduced to nitrogen gas (N2), completing the nitrogen cycle.

Phosphate Mining

The extraction of phosphate rock for the production of fertilizers and other products, impacting ecosystems.

Carbon Budget

A balance between the amount of carbon emitted into the atmosphere and the amount removed from the atmosphere through natural processes or human activities.