Matter and energy

Carbon Cycle: The way carbon moves between plants, animals, the air, and the ground, helping to keep our environment healthy.

Carbon Source: Any place that adds carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, like cars or factories.

Carbon Sink: Places that take in carbon dioxide from the air, like forests and oceans.

Carbon Reservoirs: Areas that hold carbon

Carbon Compounds/Molecules: Different forms of carbon that make up living things and gases, like carbon dioxide (CO₂) and glucose (C₆H₁₂O₆).

Photosynthesis: The process where plants use sunlight to turn carbon dioxide and water into food (glucose) and oxygen.

Cellular Respiration: The process where living things use oxygen to turn glucose into energy, carbon dioxide, and water.

Decomposition: The breaking down of dead plants and animals, returning nutrients to the soil.

Fossil Fuels: Fuels like coal, oil, and natural gas that come from ancient plants and animals, made over millions of years.

Combustion: Burning something to release energy, often producing carbon dioxide as a byproduct.

Nitrogen Cycle: The way nitrogen moves between the air, soil, plants, and animals, which is important for life.

Nitrogen Source: Any place that adds nitrogen to the soil or air, like fertilizers or lightning.

Nitrogen Sink: Places that hold onto nitrogen, like plants and soil.

Nitrogen Reservoirs: Areas that hold nitrogen:

Nitrogen Compounds/Molecules: Different forms of nitrogen, like ammonia (NH₃) and nitrates (NO₃).

Nitrogen Fixation: The process of converting atmospheric nitrogen (N₂) into forms plants can use, like ammonia.

Atmospheric Nitrogen (N₂): The nitrogen gas that makes up most of the air we breathe.

Nitrification: The process where bacteria convert ammonia into nitrates that plants can use.

Ammonia: A nitrogen compound (NH₃) that can be used by plants after it is changed.

Ammonification: The process where bacteria break down dead plants and animals, releasing ammonia into the soil.

Uptake / Assimilation: When plants absorb nitrogen from the soil to use it for growth.

Phosphorus Cycle: The way phosphorus moves through the environment, important for plant growth.

Phosphorus Source: Places that provide phosphorus, like rocks and fertilizers.

Phosphorus Sink: Areas that hold onto phosphorus, mainly soil and sediments.

Phosphorus Reservoirs: Places where phosphorus is stored, mostly in rocks and soil.

Sediment: Small pieces of rock and soil that settle at the bottom of rivers and lakes.

Mineral: Natural substances found in the earth, like gold or salt.

Limiting Factor: Something that limits the growth of plants or animals, like not enough water or food.

Hydrologic Cycle: The journey of water as it moves from the ground to the air and back again.

Water Reservoirs: Places where water is stored, like lakes, rivers, and glaciers.

Groundwater: Water that is stored underground in soil and rocks.

Aquifer: A layer of rock that holds groundwater and can provide water for wells.

Infiltration: When water soaks into the ground from rain or melted snow.

Run-off: Water that flows over the ground and into rivers and lakes after it rains.

Sinkhole: A hole that forms in the ground when the surface layer collapses, often caused by the erosion of rock underground.

Water Table: The top level of groundwater, where soil and rocks are fully saturated with water.

Primary Productivity: The rate at which plants make food through photosynthesis, usually measured in grams of carbon per square meter per year.

Gross Primary Productivity: The total amount of food (energy) produced by plants before using any for their own growth.

Net Primary Productivity: The amount of food (energy) left over for other organisms after plants use some for themselves; it's what’s available in the ecosystem.

Trophic Levels: The different levels in a food chain, showing who eats whom, from plants at the bottom to top predators at the top.

Energy: The ability to do work or cause change, often found in food.

Matter: Anything that has mass and takes up space, like plants, animals, and water.

10% Rule: The idea that only about 10% of the energy from one trophic level is passed on to the next level when organisms eat each other.

First Law of Thermodynamics: Energy cannot be created or destroyed; it can only change forms.

Second Law of Thermodynamics: When energy changes forms, some energy is always lost as heat, making systems less organized over time.

Food Chain: A simple way to show how energy moves from one living thing to another in an ecosystem.

Food Web: A more complex way to show how many food chains are connected in an ecosystem, showing all the feeding relationships.