Biogeochemical Cycle Flashcards
(25 cards)
What is Matter?
Something that takes up space.
What is the one way Carbon is taken from the atmosphere?
One way that carbon is taken out of the atmosphere is by the process of photosynthesis.
What is the process of photosynthesis?
When plants take carbon out of the atmosphere which helps plants make glucose.
What three ways does Carbon get put back into the atmosphere?
Cellular respiration, decomposition, and burning fossil fuels.
Which of these processes is a direct cause of human impact?
Burning fossil fuels
What does condensation mean?
When water vapor cools down and turns into clouds.
What does precipitation mean?
When water returns back to the ground like rain, sleet, snow.
What does evaporation mean?
When liquid turns into a gas by the sun heating the liquid and turning it into water vapor.
What does transpiration mean?
When water vapor leaves plants and goes into the atmosphere.
What does geosphere mean?
Solid Earth is also found in both rocks and fossil fuels.
What does Atmosphere mean?
All the gases in the atmosphere
What does Hydropshere mean?
All water
What does Biosphere mean?
All Life
What percent of the atmosphere is Nitrogen?
78%
What has to happen to nitrogen before plants can use it? What organism does this?
Nitrogen needs to be fixed first and decomposers do this.
How do humans get nitrogen?
By eating plants
How does Nitrogen return to the atmosphere?
By denitrification.
What is denitrification?
Denitrification is when bacteria detect there is too much nitrogen in the soil, so they denitrify it.
What are Carbon reservoirs?
Places where carbon is stored for either long or short periods of time.
What is Nitrogen Fixation?
Bacteria in the soil and water convert N2 into NH3 (Ammonia).
What happens when plants and animals die?
They decompose and are broken down by decomposers, bacteria, and fungi.
What is Cellular respiration?
cells burn sugar with oxygen to release CO2
What is a nutrient?
A chemical that an organism MUST get from its environment to survive.
What is the nutrient cycle?
The recycling of important chemicals throughout an ecosystem.
