Concepts

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