Chemicals in Ecosystems
This type of ecosystem consists of humans and their domesticated plants and animals.
What is a human ecosystem?
These describe the feeding positions of organisms in an ecosystem.
What are trophic levels?
This process allows plants to take in carbon dioxide and incorporate carbon into organic molecules.
What is photosynthesis?
This gas makes up most of Earth's atmosphere and is the main reservoir of nitrogen.
What is nitrogen gas?
This nutrient cycle does not have a gas stage in the atmosphere.
What is the phosphorus cycle?
These are nonliving chemical compounds.
What are inorganic compounds?
This shows a single pathway of energy transfer from a producer to a consumer.
What is a food Chain?
Of the major nutrient cycles studied, this cycle relies especially on photosynthesis to move its element into living things.
What is the carbon cycle?
These plants have a relationship with nitrogen-fixing bacteria in their roots.
What are legumes?
These organisms break down dead plants and animals and return phosphorus to the soil.
What are decomposers?
These are carbon-containing chemical compounds that make up living things.
What are organic compounds?
This shows the complex pattern of nutrient and energy transfer among organisms in an ecosystem.
What is a food web?
This is the stage that the carbon cycle has that the phosphorus one does not.
What is a gas stage?
These organisms help convert nitrogen between atmospheric nitrogen gas and nitrogen compounds in the soil.
What are bacteria?
These organic chemicals provide important nutrients and building materials for living things.
What are carbohydrates and proteins?
This diagram shows how the amount of biomass decreases through feeding levels in an ecosystem.
What is a biomass pyramid?
This is the largest reservoir of carbon.
what is Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere?
This process converts nitrogen gas in the atmosphere into nitrogen compounds that can enter the ecosystem.
What is nitrogen fixation?
Calcium, iron, and sodium are examples of these types of chemicals.
What are inorganic chemicals?
This process breaks down organic molecules to meet the energy needs of consumers.
What is cellular respiration?
These three processes return carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.
What are respiration, decomposition, and combustion?