1.3 impact of acid deposition on ecosystems

• jet stream: An air current located at the boundary between two major air masses (pressure systems). The location of the pressure systems determines the direction of the air
• alkaline: having the properties of a base
• mineral: a solid, inorganic chemical compound produced by natural chemical processes
• buffering: a chemical reaction to minimize a change to the hydronium-ion concentration in soil or water
• buffering capacity: the relative ability of a substance to resist change to its pH despite the addition of an acid or base
• biochemical cycle: a diagram representing the movement of elements and compounds between living and non-living components of ac ecosystem
• leaching: extracting a substance from a solid by dissolving it in a liquid; the removal of metal ions from topsoil that allows for their movement into lower levels of soil or surface water
• biomagnification: the tendency of a pollutant to appear at higher concentrations at high levels in a food chain
• abiotic factor: a physical, non-living part of the environment
• biotic factor: a living organism in the environment
• biodiversity: the variety of life in all its forms including the genetic diversity and numbers and types of organisms within an ecosystem