Notes on Compost, Carbon Cycle, and Nitrogen Cycle (Vocabulary)

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms from the video notes about composting and the carbon and nitrogen cycles.

Compost

Decomposed organic matter used to enrich soil; produced in a rotating bin that aerates the material.

Aeration

Introduction of air into the compost to speed microbial decomposition.

Organic matter

Plant and animal material that can decompose to form nutrient-rich soil amendments.

Biodegradable

Capable of being broken down by microorganisms into simpler substances.

Carbon cycle

Movement of carbon among reservoirs (ocean, rocks, fossil fuels, living organisms, atmosphere) via processes like photosynthesis and respiration.

Carbon reservoirs

Locations where carbon is stored, such as the ocean, rocks, fossil fuels, living organisms, and the atmosphere.

Photosynthesis

Process by which plants and some organisms convert CO2 and water into sugars, incorporating carbon into biomass.

Cellular respiration

Metabolic process that releases energy by breaking down sugars, producing CO2.

Greenhouse gas

Gas that traps heat in the atmosphere; carbon dioxide is a common example.

Carbon dioxide (CO2)

Gas released by respiration and burning; high levels contribute to the greenhouse effect.

Nitrogen cycle

Cycle of nitrogen through the environment involving fixation, nitrification, assimilation, ammonification, and denitrification.

Nitrogen fixation

Conversion of atmospheric nitrogen (N2) into ammonia (NH3) or ammonium (NH4+) by bacteria in soil or roots.

Ammonia / Ammonium

Forms of nitrogen usable by plants after fixation.

Nitrifying bacteria

Soil bacteria that convert ammonium into nitrates and nitrites that plants can use.

Nitrates / Nitrites

Nitrogen forms that plants can assimilate and use to build organic molecules.

Assimilation

Plants uptake nitrates/nitrites and incorporate nitrogen into organic molecules like amino acids.

Ammonification

Decomposition process returning ammonia to soil from decomposed organic matter.

Denitrification

Process where bacteria convert nitrates/nitrites back into atmospheric nitrogen (N2).

Fertilizer pollution

Excess nitrogen from fertilizers that runs off into water bodies, fueling algal blooms.

Eutrophication

Nutrient over-enrichment in water causing algae blooms and often oxygen depletion as they decompose.