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the deposition of nitric or sulfuric acid, either in rain (acid rain) or in the form of dry particles, as a result of the production of nitrogen oxides or sulfur dioxide through burning, primarily of fossil fuels.
acid deposition
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an underground deposit of fresh water, often used as a source for irrigation.
aquifer
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literally, "self-feeder"; normally, a photosynthetic organism; a producer.
autotroph
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able to be broken down into harmless substances by decomposers.
biodegradable
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the pathways of a specific nutrient (such as carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, or water) through the living and nonliving portions of an ecosystem; also called a nutrient cycle.
biogeochemical cycle
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the increasing accumulation of a toxic substance in progressively higher trophic levels.
biological magnification
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the total weight of all living material within a defined area.
biomass
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the steps by which carbon moves from its reservoirs in the atmosphere and oceans through producers and into higher trophic levels, and then back to its reservoirs.
carbon cycle
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literally, "meat eater"; a predatory organism that feeds on herbivores or on other carnivores; a secondary (or higher) consumer.
carnivore
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an organism that eats other organisms; a heterotroph.
consumer
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an organism, usually a fungus or bacterium, that digests organic material by secreting digestive enzymes into the environment, in the process liberating nutrients into the environment.
decomposer
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the excessive cutting of forests. In recent years, deforestation has occurred primarily in rain forests in the Tropics, to clear space for agriculture.
deforestation
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the excessive cutting of forests. In recent years, deforestation has occurred primarily in rain forests in the Tropics, to clear space for agriculture.
deforestation
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bacteria that break down nitrates, releasing nitrogen gas to the atmosphere.
denitrifying bacteria
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one of a diverse group of organisms, ranging from worms to vultures, that live off the wastes and dead remains of other organisms.
detritus feeder
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a graphical representation of the energy contained in succeeding trophic levels, with maximum energy at the base (primary producers) and steadily diminishing amounts at higher levels.
energy pyramid
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a wetland formed where a river meets the ocean; the salinity is quite variable, but lower than that of sea water and higher than that of fresh water.
estuary
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a linear feeding relationship in a community, using a single representative from each of the trophic levels.
food chain
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a representation of the complex feeding relationships (in terms of interacting food chains) within a community, including many organisms at various trophic levels, with many of the consumers occupying more than one level simultaneously.
food web
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a fuel such as coal, oil, and natural gas, derived from the remains of ancient organisms.
fossil fuel
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a gradual rise in global atmospheric temperature as a result of an amplification of the natural greenhouse effect due to human activities.
global warming
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the process in which certain gases such as carbon dioxide and methane trap sunlight energy in a planet's atmosphere as heat; the glass in a greenhouse does the same. The result, global warming, is being enhanced by the production of these gases by humans.
greenhouse effect
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a gas, such as carbon dioxide or methane, that traps sunlight energy in a planet's atmosphere as heat; a gas that participates in the greenhouse effect.
greenhouse gas
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literally, "plant-eater"; an organism that feeds directly and exclusively on producers; a primary consumer.
herbivore
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literally, "other-feeder"; an organism that eats other organisms; a consumer.
heterotroph
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the pathway that water takes as it travels from its major reservoir, the oceans, through the atmosphere to reservoirs in freshwater lakes, rivers, and groundwater, and back into the oceans. The hydrologic cycle is driven by solar energy. Nearly all water remains as water throughout the cycle (rather than being used in the synthesis of new molecules).
hydrologic cycl
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a member of a family of plants characterized by root swellings in which nitrogen-fixing bacteria are housed; includes peas, soybeans, lupines, alfalfa, and clover.
legume
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a nutrient required by an organism in relatively large quantities.
macronutrient
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a nutrient required by an organism in relatively small quantities.
micronutrient
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the energy stored in the autotrophs of an ecosystem over a given time period that is available to other members of the community.
net primary production
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the process by which nitrogen moves from its primary reservoir of nitrogen gas in the atmosphere via nitrogen-fixing bacteria to reservoirs in soil and water, through producers and into higher trophic levels, and then back to its reservoirs.
nitrogen cycle
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the process that combines atmospheric nitrogen with hydrogen to form ammonium
nitrogen fixation
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a substance acquired from the environment and needed for the survival, growth, and development of an organism.
nutrient
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the pathways of a specific nutrient (such as carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, or water) through the living and nonliving portions of an ecosystem; also called a biogeochemical cycle.
nutrient cycle
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an organism that consumes both plants and other animals.
omnivore
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the process by which phosphorus moves from its primary reservoir—phosphate-rich rock—to reservoirs of phosphate in soil and water, through producers and into higher trophic levels, and then back to its reservoirs.
phosphorus cycle
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photosynthetic protists that are abundant in marine and freshwater environments.
phytoplankton
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an organism that feeds on producers; an herbivore.
primary consumer
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a photosynthetic organism; an autotroph.
producer
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the major source and storage site of a nutrient in an ecosystem, normally in the abiotic portion.
reservoir
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an organism that feeds on primary consumers; a carnivore.
secondary consumer
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a carnivore that feeds on other carnivores (secondary consumers).
tertiary consumer
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the evaporation of water through stomata, chiefly in leaves.
transpiration
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literally, "feeding level"; the categories of organisms in a community, and the position of an organism in a food chain, defined by the organism's source of energy; includes producers, primary consumers, secondary consumers, and so on.
trophic level
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nonphotosynthetic protists that are abundant in marine and freshwater environments.
zooplankton
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