Concepts

Formation of stable soil structural units through binding of soil particles by organic compounds and microbial processes

Loss of biodiversity and decreased soil nitrogen retention when nitrogen availability exceeds plant demand

Process by which ant foraging and nesting activities alter soil chemistry by accumulating organic matter and nutrients near colonies

The degree to which soil carbon dioxide efflux rates change with soil temperature, typically quantified as Q10 or temperature response function parameters

The dissolved phosphorus fraction immediately available for biological uptake, measured as the proximate cause of bloom formation

Process starting with PAH which stack into particles, then spheres, then agglomerates, finally mature soot

The convergence of nutrient ratios (particularly nitrogen to phosphorus ratios) across different regions or communities despite varying environmental conditions

Elements like oxygen, iron, and nitrogen that accept electrons in microbial metabolic processes, used in order of energy yield

The ability of thorium to be released from bedrock and transported in aqueous solutions under different geochemical conditions

Measure of organic carbon content in sediments, used as indicator of available carbon for microbial metabolism

The attachment and retention of trace metals to sediment particles, which has been the topic of numerous studies investigating rates of cation exchange on clay minerals and particle-size variability

The elapsed time carbon atoms spend in the soil, characterizing the age structure of output flux from the soil

The average time required for dead wood to decompose, calculated as the inverse of the decay rate constant

Microbial breakdown of plant-emitted volatile compounds such as monoterpenes for carbon and energy sources