Unit 1 - Biogeochemical Cycles

reservoirs

Places where various chemicals are stored (saved) and from which they are recycled

carbon sink

a forest, ocean, or other natural environment viewed in terms of its ability to absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

carbon source

Anything that releases more carbon than it absorbs

Respiration

animals (AND PLANTS) breathe in O2 and exhale CO2

Photosynthesis

plants take in CO2, H2O, and Sunlight to produce carbohydrates and O2 (as a byproduct)

Combustion

The process of burning fossil fuels, which releases carbon directly into the atmosphere

Decomposition

when complex, carbon compounds in dead organisms are broken down into simpler carbon compounds by bacteria or fungi (decomposers).

largest carbon sink

The deep ocean

nitrogen fixation

process of converting nitrogen gas into nitrogen compounds that plants can absorb and use (ammonia), preformed mainly by bacteria in the soil

Nitrification

When ammonia is converted to nitrate ions (NO3-).

Assimilation

When producers take up (absorb) nitrogen compounds

Ammonification

The process by which fungal and bacterial decomposers break down the organic nitrogen found in dead bodies and waste products and convert it into inorganic ammonium (NH4)

Denitrification

process by which bacteria convert nitrates into nitrogen gas which is released back into the atmosphere

largest nitrogen sink

atmosphere

Eutrophication

A process by which nutrients, particularly phosphorus and nitrogen, become highly concentrated in a body of water, leading to increased growth of organisms such as algae

largest phosphorus sink

sediments

Major sources of sulfur

burning coal, mining, and volcanoes

acid rain

rain containing sulfuric acids

Largest freshwater sink

Glaciers

Transpiration

Evaporation of water from the leaves of a plant

Infiltration

the process by which water on the ground surface enters the soil

Percolation

The downward movement of water through soil and rock due to gravity.

Runoff

water that flows over the ground surface rather than soaking into the ground

impervious surfaces

surfaces that don't absorb water ex. roads, sidewalks, houses / buildings