Ecosystems

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What is biomass?

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The dry weight of tissue and organic matter in an ecosystem.

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What is biodiversity?

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The number of species living in an ecosystem.

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What is nitrogen fixation?

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The process by which nitrogen gas is converted to ammonia by bacteria.

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What is ammonification?

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The production of ammonia by bacteria during the decay of nitrogen-containing urea.

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What is transpiration?

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A process by which water is returned to the atmosphere through plants.

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What is an ecosystem?

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A community of living organisms and their interactions with the environment.

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What is a food chain?

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A linear sequence of organisms through which nutrients and energy pass as one organism eats another.

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What is primary productivity?

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The rate at which energy is converted by photosynthetic and chemosynthetic autotrophs to organic substances.

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What is a trophic level?

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Each of the hierarchical levels in an ecosystem, comprising organisms that share the same function in the food chain.

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What is denitrification?

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The process by which bacteria convert nitrates into nitrogen gas, returning it to the atmosphere.