Nutrient Cycling

A set of vocabulary flashcards summarizing key concepts about nutrient cycling, ecosystems, and their impact on climate change.

Biogeochemical cycle

The path atoms take from the living (biotic) to the non-living (abiotic) world and back again.

Nutrients

Elements of life that make up a major portion of living biomass, accounting for only about 15 of the 50 to 70 elements found in living things.

Water cycle

The cycle involving evaporation, condensation, precipitation, and transpiration of water.

Carbon cycle

The process by which carbon changes from inorganic to organic forms and back again, essential for sustaining life.

Photosynthesis

The process by which plants convert carbon dioxide and sunlight into glucose and oxygen.

Cellular Respiration

The process where organisms convert glucose and oxygen back into carbon dioxide, water, and energy.

Nitrogen fixation

The process by which nitrogen-fixing bacteria convert atmospheric nitrogen (N2) into ammonia (NH3), making it usable for plants.

Enhanced greenhouse effect

The increase in Earth's temperature caused by human activities releasing additional greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.

Climate change

Long-term changes in temperature, precipitation, and other atmospheric conditions on Earth, often associated with global warming.

Greenhouse gases

Gases such as carbon dioxide and methane that trap heat in the atmosphere, contributing to the greenhouse effect.