Chapter 5: The Inhabitants of Planet Earth and Their Relationships (?/Jorden)
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the nonliving component of the Earth
abiotic
the living components of the Earth
biotic
movement of nutrients such as carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, phosphorus, sulfur, and water through the environment in complex cycles
biogeochemical cycles
a place where a large quantity of nutrients sits for a long period of time
reservoir
a site where a nutrient sits for only a short period of time
exchange pool
the amount of time nutrient spends in a reservoir or exchange pool
residency time
Law of Conservation of Matter
matter can be neither created nor destroyed
the condensation of water in the atmosphere from a gaseous state to form a liquid or solid that becomes dense enough to fall to the Earth due to the pull of gravity
precipitation
water held underground in the soil or in pores and crevices in rock
groundwater
movement of water across the land’s surface that enters a drainage system that will eventually deposit into a body of water such as a lake or an ocean
runoff
the process of water returning to the atmosphere from Earth’s surface and other living organisms
evaporation
the process where plants absorb water then release large amounts of water vapor into the air
transpiration
the process where animals and plants breath in oxygen and give off carbon dioxide
respiration
the production of ammonia or ammonium compounds in the decomposition of organic matter, especially through the action of bacteria
ammonification
the process in which plants absorb ammonium, ammonia ions, and nitrate ions through their roots
assimilation
autotroph
producers; organisms that produce their own organic compounds from inorganic compounds. They use energy from the sun or from the oxidation of inorganic substances
the accumulation of a substance, such as a toxic chemical in various tissues of a living organism
bioaccumulation
true extermination of a species, there are no individuals of this species left on the planet
biological extinction
the part of the Earth and its atmosphere where living organisms exist or that is capable of supporting life
biosphere
an animal that only consumes other animals
carnivore
an organism, such as a bacterium or protozoan, that obtains its nourishment through the oxidation of inorganic chemical compounds, as opposed to photosynthesis
chemotroph (chemoautotroph)
a stable, mature community in a successive series that has reached equilibrium after having evolved through stages and adapted to its environment
climax community
the process of burning
combustion
a few individuals exist but the effort needed to locate and harvest them is not worth the expense
commercial or economic extinction