A diagram that represents the amount of energy stored in trophic levels.

How much energy is passed on to each trophic level?

How water, carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus pass from the physical environment to living organisms.

The evaporation of water from plants.

We use these to power our vehicles, and heat our homes; formed from decayed plants and animals millions of years ago.

The weight of living organic matter found within a trophic level; the amount of potential food available for each trophic level.

The process by which water vapor forms clouds in the atmosphere.

Some bacteria return nitrogen to the atmosphere in the process of _______________.

Organism that obtain their energy from eating dead matter or waste.

Surface water that travels across the land and eventually reaches a body of water.

These organisms produce energy by capturing sunlight; also known as autotrophs.

How liquid water returns to the atmosphere; sun warms up bodies of water to enable this process to occur.

A species on which other species in an ecosystem largely depend, such as that if it were removed the ecosystem would drastically change.

The absorption of nitrogen by plants through their roots is called __________________.

Sometimes ecosystems are limited by a single nutrient that is scarce or cycles through the ecosystem slowly. The nutrient is then known as the _____________ nutrient.

The production of ammonia by bacteria during the decay of organic matter.

Death and decay contribute to biogeochemical cycles as animals and plants die. These organisms, _____________, break down dead matter and release nutrients back into the environment.

Occurs when carbon returns to the atmosphere through the burning of fossil fuels.

The process of water seeping into the soil to become ground water.

Organisms that need to consume other organisms for energy; also known as heterotrophs.

When marine organisms die the calcium carbonate that was present in their shells breaks down due to ___________ and the carbon dioxide is returned to the atmosphere.

_____________ does not enter the atmosphere but instead is locked in rocks and minerals in the environment.

Nitrogen makes up ______% of the atmosphere, however most organisms cannot use atmospheric nitrogen.

A single path of energy through an ecosystem is called a _____________________.

An organism that eats only plants.

An organism that eats both plants and animals.

An organism that eats only meat.

The process of water returning to Earth in the form of rain, sleet, snow, or other form.

Water that is present underground.