Exam 22: Decomposition and Nutrient Cycling

The rate of nutrient cycling in an ecosystem is a function of physical characteristics of the ecosystem,not biological processes such as photosynthesis and decomposition.

Aquatic arthropods that fragment organic particles and also eat bacteria and fungi on the surface of the litter are called

The region of the open ocean where the north and south equatorial currents meet is deficient in nutrients and supports little life.

The rate of nutrient cycling in an ecosystem

Animals that feed on bacteria and fungi are called ________.

The work of Edward Schuur (Schuur,2001,2003; and Schuur and Matson,2001)has found that in some ecosystems,rates of decomposition decline with increased precipitation.

In which of the following is the process of nutrient cycling sometimes described as nutrient spiraling?

Aerobic decomposition occurs at a faster rate than anaerobic decomposition.

Decomposition proceeds faster in moist environments than in dry environments.

Estuaries receive nutrients both from tides and from streams and rivers.

The rate of net primary productivity can be limited directly by the availability of

The C:N ratio of litter is important because litter with a

The process of conversion of nutrients from an organic form into an inorganic form that plants can use is called

In general,litter with a C:N ratio greater than 30 leads to immobilization,litter with a C:N ratio less than 20 leads to mineralization,and litter with a C:N ratio of 20-30 leads to a balance of immobilization and mineralization resulting in no net N production.If garlic mustard leaf litter collected on the forest floor had 43.2% C and 1.16% N,this tissue would lead to

The physical fragmentation of organic matter into smaller pieces is achieved primarily by invertebrate detritivores.

The process of decomposition releases ________ to bacteria and fungi.

In open-water ecosystems,decomposition occurs primarily in the

In an estuary,the zone of maximum vertical difference in density is called a(n)________.

A C:N ratio of 134:1 will usually lead to immobilization.

Most of the nutrients in the leaves of a deciduous plant are lost from the plant when the leaves senesce and drop to the ground.