What is the process of rain or snowfall called?
precipitation
Phosphorous enters an ecosystem by
Weathering of sedimentary rocks
What is the process of turning a liquid into a gas?
Evaporation
The process of burning fossil fuels, releasing carbon, is called?
combustion
How does nitrogen fixation occur?
nitrogen-fixing bacteria
How is How does sulfuric acid returned to the ocean?
acid rain
What are abiotic factors? Give an example.
Non-living elements (air, water, sun, etc.)
How does water vapor from the atmosphere get to the ground (the process before precipitation)?
condensation
How do plants obtain phosphorous?
absorb through roots (in water or soil)
What are biotic factors?
Living elements (plants, animals, etc.)
What two things can happen with water after precipitation has returned it to the ground?
Percolation and Surface Runoff
By what process does nitrogen enter plants from the soil?
Assimiliation
What geological feature is unique to the sulfur cycle?
volcanoes
What are the 5 biogeochemical cycles we have learned about so far?
water, carbon, nitrogen, phosphorous, sulfur
What is transpiration?
the evaporation of water from plants
Nitrogen Fixation turns N2 into what two substances?
Ammonium and Ammonia
what two forms of sulfur occur after sulfate enters the soil?
Organic and Mineral