Vocabulary
The name for a form that a nutrient is kept in, sometimes for only a little while, sometimes for a very long time.
What are stores?
Bacteria are often responsible for this process of breaking down dead organic matter.
What is decomposition?
This is the form carbon most often takes as a gas in the atmosphere
What is CO2 (carbon dioxide)?
The part of the ocean that exchanges carbon and nitrogen with the atmosphere.
What is the surface ocean?
This energy source allows plants and some bacteria to form sugars out of carbon.
What is sunlight?
This word refers to living things, as opposed to nonliving things.
What is biotic?
Bacteria are responsible for holding onto most of this nutrient in the soil.
What is carbon?
This is the name for gases that trap heat within the atmosphere, contributing to climate change.
What are greenhouse gases?
This part of the ocean holds carbon for a fairly long time.
What is the deep ocean?
This nutrient cycle includes stops in the atmosphere, oceans, and underground fossil fuel reserves.
What is the carbon cycle?
This process condenses nutrients into rock, sometimes deep underground, sometimes at the bottom of the ocean.
What is sedimentation?
Some bacteria can do this important process- taking nitrogen from the air and delivering it into the soil.
What is nitrogen fixation?
This nutrient is more present in the atmosphere than it is anywhere else on earth.
What is nitrogen?
What is abiotic?
This word means 1 million tons, coming from the Greek word for great or mighty.
What is a megaton?
This combination of carbon and oxygen can be found dissolved in water or in certain marine animal shells.
What is carbonate?
This ancient relative of modern bacteria is still present today, and is able to perform photosynthesis.
What is cyanobacteria?
This nutrient isn't actually present in the atmosphere, instead having a long term storage in rocks.
What is phosphorus?
This nutrient layer at the bottom of the ocean has been compounded into rock.
What is marine sediment?
Some scientists say this marine animal may actually help cycle carbon through the ocean.
What are krill?
This word describes the heightened plant growth and decay that happens when excess nutrients are present.
What is eutrophication?
Some bacteria are known to form relationships with this kind of plant, trading nitrogen for sugars.
What are legumes?
This forest event releases large stores of carbon into the atmosphere very rapidly.
What is a forest fire?
This process is responsible for distribution of nutrients throughout the world's oceans.
What is ocean mixing (ocean churning)?
This phenomenon happens when nitrogen compounds from the air dissolve in clouds and then fall as precipitation.
What is acid rain?