Resources

Abiotic- non-living components of an ecosystem (ex: water, rocks, elements)

Aggregates- groups of soil particles that bind to each other more strongly than to adjacent particles (NRCS).

Agroecosystem- an ecosystem (interacting biotic and abiotic components) functioning with agricultural purposes

Biodiversity- number of living things

Biogeochemical- movement of chemical elements (C, N, P, S, O) and simple substances between living and non-living components of an ecosystem; typically thought of as a cycle

Biotic- living components of an ecosystem; meet the characteristics of all living things (ex: plants, microbes, animals)

Carbon Sequestration- the process of capturing and storing atmospheric carbon dioxide

Carbon Sink- a component of the ecosystem an ability to absorb, capture, or retain carbon dioxide from the atmosphere (ex: plants or the ocean)

Carbon Source- process, area, or ecosystem that releases a greater amount of carbon dioxide than it absorbs

Cellular Respiration- Metabolic process that requires oxygen by which living cells break down glucose (sugar) molecules, release energy, and form molecules of ATP. In short, oxygen and sugar react to form carbon dioxide and water as products. 

Ecosystem- a biological community of interacting organisms and their environment (biotic + abiotic components interacting in a given area)

Exudates- substance secreted by a plant

Greenhouse Effect- A driver of Earth's climate, this natural phenomenon results from the trapping of solar radiation within our atmosphere by greenhouse gases (ex: CO2, CH4, N2O). Anthropogenic Greenhouse Effect- Human-caused raising of the global surface temperature due to increased greenhouse gas emissions and land use changes. 

Humus- (also known as stable organic matter) is considered fully decomposed plant and animal material. Role in maintaining soil structure by aggregating soil mineral particles (NRCS).

Infiltration- process by which ground water enters the soil

Metabolic process- a set of chemical reactions involved in the cells of living things (ex: cellular respiration, photosynthesis, making proteins)

Organic compounds- a chemical compound where one or more atoms of carbon are covalently (shared electrons) linked to another atom

Photosynthesis-  a metabolic process where green plants and some other organisms (like some algae) transform sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water to synthesize carbohydrates (glucose/sugars) and oxygen as by product. 

Primary producer- an autotrophic (organism that can synthesize their own food) organism that serves as the base of an ecosystem food web

Productivity- rate at which primary producers can produce organic compounds (like sugars) in an ecosystem; May also see as net primary productivity or gross primary productivity

Symbiotic- close relationship between two organisms; can be mutualism (mycorrhizal fungi and plants), parasitism (pests on crops), commensalism (one organism benefits, the other is neither harmed nor benefited) 

Tilth- soil compaction

Trophic Levels- level in which an organism belongs to in the food chain. Producers like plants belong to the first trophic level. Herbivores, such as cattle, that consume only plant matter, belong to the second trophic level. As energy flows from one trophic level to the next, such as a cow grazing on grass, only a fraction of the energy capture by the plant through photosynthesis can be utilized by the next trophic level. 

CCI: Carbon Cycle Institute

CFP: Carbon Farm Plan

GEP: Google Earth Pro

GHG: Greenhouse Gas

ES: Ecological Site

NRCS: Natural Resource Conservation Service

RCD: Resource Conservation District

SOM: Soil organic matter

SOC: Soil organic carbon

USDA: Unites States Department of Agriculture