EGGS 100 Chapter Notes - Chapter 2: Nitrogen Dioxide, Nitrogen Cycle, Phytoplankton

• School: Bloomsburg University
• Department: Environ, Geog, & Geol Sciences
• Course: EGGS 100
• Professor: Matthew Ricker

Document Summary

Lithosphere: contains the rock and sediment beneath our feet, in the planet"s uppermost layers. Atmosphere: composed of the air surrounding our planet. Biosphere: consists of all the planet"s living organisms and the abiotic (nonliving) portions of the environment with which they interact. Eutrophication: process of nutrient over enrichment, blooms of algae, increased production of organic matter, and subsequent ecosystem degradation. Hypoxic/hypoxia: when phytoplankton die, settle to the bay bottom, and are decomposed by bacteria, this depletes oxygen in the water, called dead zones. Estuary: water body where rivers flow into the ocean, mixing fresh water with salt water. Chemical energy: potential energy held in the bonds between atoms. Photosynthesis: turn light and energy from the sun into chemical energy. Cellular respiration: how organisms use the chemical energy created by photosynthesis. Consumers: (heterotrophs) feeding on the biomass of other organisms. Nutrient cycles: circulate elements or molecules through the lithosphere, atmosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere.