Biogeochemical Cycles and Natural Resources

Flashcards covering key vocabulary, reservoirs, and processes of the Hydrologic, Carbon, Nitrogen, and Phosphorus cycles, as well as general natural resources concepts.

Hydrologic Cycle Diagram

Diagram showing the movement of water driven by the sun, including condensation, precipitation, transpiration, evaporation, and percolation.

Hydrologic (Water) Cycle

A cycle driven by the sun's energy, moving water between its ocean reservoir, ground water, and atmosphere.

Groundwater

An important reservoir consisting of water found within the soil that needs to stay pure/clean for drinking water and irrigation.

Transpiration

A hydrologic process where plants release $H_2O$ vapor into the atmosphere through their leaves.

Percolation

The collection of $H_2O$ passing into the groundwater, which is dependent on infiltration.

Infiltration

The process upon which percolation depends, referring to the porosity of the ground.

Evapotranspiration

The combined process of evaporation from surfaces and transpiration from plant leaves releasing water vapor into the atmosphere.

Carbon Cycle Diagram

Diagram illustrating carbon movement through photosynthesis, cellular respiration, combustion, direct exchange, extraction, burial, and sedimentation.

Carbon Cycle

The cycle of an organic molecule needed for many molecular and human processes, whose largest reservoir is rocks.

Extraction (Carbon Cycle)

Digging or mining for fossil fuels formed from millions of years of burial and decomposition of organic carbon matter into coal or oil.

Combustion

The burning of fossil fuels as energy, releasing $CO_2$ into the air.

Cellular Respiration

Process that uses $O_2$ to make energy and releases $CO_2$ into the atmosphere.

Direct Exchange (Carbon Cycle)

Process involving evaporation and precipitation where atmospheric $CO_2$ dissolves into the ocean and evaporates back.

Photosynthesis

Process that sequesters (removes) $CO_2$ from the atmosphere to make food for plants.

Sedimentation (Carbon Cycle)

Process where carbon is compressed into sediments in the ocean or fossil fuels in the ground over millions of years.

Nitrogen Cycle Diagram

Diagram illustrating nitrogen transformations including biotic and abiotic fixation, ammonification, nitrification, assimilation, and denitrification.

Nitrogen Cycle

The cycle of a vital limited element for making DNA and amino acids, whose biggest reservoir is the atmosphere ($N_2$ gas).

Nitrogen Fixation

Process of converting atmospheric $N_2$ gas into a usable form ($N_2 \rightarrow NH_3$) in the soil for plants.

Biotic Fixation

Nitrogen fixation transformed by living organisms such as bacteria.

Abiotic Fixation

Nitrogen fixation transformed by nonliving phenomena such as lightning.

Assimilation (Nitrogen Cycle)

Process where plants and animals take in nitrogen (plants from synthetic fertilizers, animals by eating other plants) to convert into biomass.

Ammonification

Process where decomposers turn waste and dead biomass into nitrogen for the soil (A horizon).

Nitrification

Process where decomposers convert nitrogen into another usable form of nitrogen in the soil.

Denitrification

Process where decomposers convert soil nitrogen into gaseous $N_2$ to return back to the atmosphere.

Phosphorus Cycle

Biogeochemical cycle of a vital limited element for making DNA and ATP that cycles very slowly and is not found in the atmosphere.

Weathering (Phosphorus Cycle)

The breakdown of rocks by wind or water to release phosphorus into the environment.

Geological Uplift

Tectonic plate collision creating mountains that can later be weathered to release phosphorus.

Reservoir

A location where natural elements are held and released from.

Sink

A reservoir that takes in more of an element (such as carbon) than it releases.

Source

A reservoir that releases more of an element (such as carbon) than it takes in.