Environmental Science Terms

5. an organism that decomposes organic material.
10. the geological process in which earthen materials are worn away and transported by natural forces such as wind, water, or ice.
12. the chemical processes by which atmospheric nitrogen is assimilated into organic compounds.
13. organisms that create organic compounds from inorganic carbon through processes like photosynthesis or chemosynthesis.
14. an organism that derives the organic compounds and energy it needs from the consumption of other organisms.
15. the geological process in which sediments, soil and rocks are added to a landform or landmass.

1. a type of tectonic plate boundary where two plates move away from each other.
2. the process by which cells convert glucose and oxygen into ATP, water, and carbon dioxide.
3. excessive richness of nutrients in a lake or other body of water, frequently due to runoff from the land.
4. the process by which green plants, algae, and certain bacteria convert light energy into chemical energy.
6. an area on Earth where two or more lithospheric plates collide, leading to geological activity.
7. body of permeable rock which can contain or transmit groundwater.
8. essential substances needed by organisms for growth, energy, and overall health.
9. large slabs of solid rock that float on Earth's surface and interact at boundaries.
11. water that occurs below the surface of the Earth, filling the void spaces in soils.