Systems & Spheres
A pile of stuff
Heap
water that flows across the surface of the land until it reaches a body of water
Runoff
single-celled bacteria that live in water and perform photosynthesis
Cyanobacteria
Something that has volume and mass
Matter
A scientific word for rain and snow
Precipitation
A group of parts that together to produce a unified whole
System
process that moves soil from one place to another like weathering and transport of broken pieces of rock
Erosion
rapid growth of cyanobacteria in a body of water
Cyanobacteria Bloom
A pure substance that cannot be broken down into any other substance
Element
The processes that move water through Earth's Atmosphere, Biosphere, Geosphere, and Hydrosphere.
Water Cycle
A system that allows matter and energy to flow freely in or out.
Open system
a series of steps or events that lead to a result
Process
dangerous chemicals produced and release by cyanobacteria
Cyanotoxins
An important nutrient and chemical element that living things need to function and grow
Phosphorus
The practice of growing crops and livestock for human consumption
Agriculture
A system that allows energy to flow freely in or out, but does not allow matter to flow in or out.
Closed System
A process by which contaminants such as phosphorus or other pollutants are carried by groundwater and make their way into bodies of water.
Leaching
A process by which plants use energy from the sun and carbon dioxide to make glucose, and release oxygen into the atmosphere.
Photosynthesis
The processes in which the element phosphorus moves through Earth's Atmosphere, Biosphere, Geosphere, and Hydrosphere.
Phosphorus Cycle
An area of land where all water flows to a common outlet like a river or lake, eventually making its way to the ocean.
Watershed
A system that does not let matter or energy in or out.
Isolated System
A process by which contaminants like phosphorus and other pollutants soak into the soil after a rain event
Infiltration
This modern group of organisms evolved from cyanobacteria billions years ago when a single celled bacteria engulfed a cyanobacteria.
Plants
A place where phosphorus can be stored (in general terms)
Reservoir
A process by which microbes (bacteria, algae, etc.) can take nitrogen gas from the atmosphere and turn it into more usable forms for plants and animals.
Nitrogen Fixation