Biogeochemical Cycles (Nutrient Cycles)

Front

What happens to the atoms of certain chemical elements, such as carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen, in an ecosystem?

Back

They move into and out of living systems.

Front

What does the Law of Conservation of Mass state?

Back

Matter is neither created nor destroyed.

Front

What is the process called when plants lose water through their leaves?

Back

Transpiration.

Front

What are the gases that trap heat in the Earth's atmosphere causing global warming called?

Back

Green House gases.

Front

What is a place where matter/nutrients are collected or stored?

Back

A reservoir.

Front

Define biogeochemical cycles.

Back

Natural processes that recycle nutrients in various chemical forms from the non-living environment to living organisms and back.

Front

What role do decomposers play in nutrient cycles?

Back

They break down dead organic matter, returning nutrients to the soil.

Front

What is the carbon cycle?

Back

The process by which carbon is exchanged between the atmosphere, land, water, and living organisms.

Front

What is nitrogen fixation?

Back

The process of converting nitrogen gas from the atmosphere into ammonia or related compounds in soil.

Front

What is the significance of the water cycle?

Back

It regulates climate, supports plant growth, and maintains ecosystems.