ENVR 100 Exam 3: Supporting Services

a supply of something that we want to observe and measure over time

the mechanism and rate by which a stock in a system changes over time

a loop that responds to the direction of change in the stock by amplifying that same direction of change

feedback that counteracts the direction in which a particular stock is changing

a path that shows how matter on Earth flows through different parts of the environment

an element that organisms require in large amounts: oxygen, phosphorus, nitrogen, & carbon

a process where free nitrogen (N₂) in the air is converted to soluble ammonia (NH₄⁺) and nitrate (NO₃^-) ions that plants, algae, and bacteria can take in and use

a process where bacteria and fungi break down nitrogen compounds in animal waste products and in dead plant and animal matter and release ammonia

a process in which microorganisms convert ammonia to nitrogen compounds

a process in which microorganisms use nitrogen compounds for respiration and create N₂ gas, returning it to the atmosphere

a human-made, energy and resource-intensive process of nitrogen fixation that makes synthetic nitrogen fertilizer; draws on 1% of the world’s electricity output and 4% of the global natural gas supply

a series of chemical reactions involving water and carbon dioxide through which plants and some other organisms store the Sun’s energy in simple sugars

water in the soils that cycles through and supports plants; does NOT include irrigation!

standing/available water in the environment such as rivers, lakes, aquifers, precipitation, etc

the process where plants use water in the soil and then expel it as water vapor

water/soil/other substances being carried away from the surface of an area of land

gross primary production; the rate at which autotrophs produce usable chemical energy

the geologic process by which Earth recycles and renews its surface

sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic

physical and chemical processes that reduce rocks to smaller particles and alter minerals

a process where natural forces — such as wind, water, ice, and gravity — move weathered rock particles

the process in which sediments compact under pressure and gradually become solid rock

eroded material that is transported and accumulates in different places

a natural solid from Earth’s crust that forms rock; also provides key materials for many practical human endeavors

a surface feature of the landscape

the shape of the land

an area of land that drains to a particular point along a river or stream

a place where floods frequently send water over the banks of a river or stream channel and deposit sediment

a surface that does not allow water to pass through it

the medium in which plants grow; a complex mixture of weathered rock and mineral particles (sediment), dead & decaying plant and animal matter, and the multitude of organisms that live within these materials; has components of both litho and biosphere

a process where water (or other liquid) moves down into the soil

a mixture of roughly 40% sand, 40% silt, and 20% clay particles

a layer in soil created by the action of living (biotic) and nonliving (abiotic) factors

typically the first 2-6 inches of soil, encompassing the top two soil horizons

fallen leaves and other dead organic matter that supports a vast community of life

a form of detritus that is even more broken down and nutrient-rich

the soil’s overall structure and conditions that facilitate plant growth

when mineral salts build up in the soil

a process driven by water where mineral elements move down to deeper soil layers, potentially beneath the reach of plant roots, to be carried away in groundwater or stream flow

preparing the soil for planting by breaking it up and turning it over with a plow

organisms that produce their own food

net primary production; GPP minus the rate of energy lost to metabolism; the amount of energy stored as biomass

fundamental ecological processes controlling structure and function of ecosystems

gaseous: carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, water; sedimentary: phosphorus

rock component of the Earth

the living component of Earth

the collection of soil horizons at a location

O, A, B, C

an area of land that drains to a particular point along a river or stream