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Energy transfers official content key terms
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Energy transfers official content
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Ecosystem productivity
The rate at which energy is converted by photosynthetic and chemosynthetic autotrophs to organic substances.
Sustainable agriculture
Farming practices that meet current food needs without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.
Decomposition
The process by which organic substances are broken down into simpler organic or inorganic matter, often facilitated by saprobionts.
Nutrient cycling
The movement and exchange of organic and inorganic matter back into the production of living matter, involving processes such as decomposition.
Nitrogen fixation
The conversion of atmospheric nitrogen (N₂) into ammonia (NH₃) by nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
Denitrification
The process by which nitrates are reduced to nitrogen gas (N₂) by denitrifying bacteria, returning nitrogen to the atmosphere.
Phosphorus Cycle
The biogeochemical cycle that describes the movement of phosphorus through the lithosphere, hydrosphere, and biosphere.
Decomposition
The process by which organic substances are broken down into simpler organic or inorganic matter, releasing nutrients back into the environment.
Microbial Activity
The metabolic processes carried out by microorganisms, which play a key role in decomposition and nutrient cycling.
Enzyme Activity
The rate at which enzymes catalyze biochemical reactions, significantly influencing decomposition rates.
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