Glossary

This chemical substance is better known by its trivial name, laughing gas. The chemical molecular formula is N2O. Nitrous oxide is a greenhouse gas and contributes to global warming. The gas is mainly used as an anaesthetic.

Manure is a faecal mixture of faeces and urine.

In an inversion weather situation, the temperatures do not decrease as usual, but increase. Due to this phenomenon, no exchange can take place between the upper and lower air layers and a barrier layer is created. Exhaust gases and dust particles collect under this and contribute to increased air pollution.

Volatile organic compounds – VOCs for short – are organic substances with a low boiling point. They are found in many solvents, woods, paints and sealants.

The term “soil beings / creatures” (Edaphon) is used to refer to all the organisms living in the soil.

This approach, invented by the German chemist Michael Braungart and the American architect William McDonough, puts product cycles in a holistic context. The goal is not to dispose of the substances and materials used in products as waste, but to reuse them. That means continuing to use it after using it for another purpose.

Drains are specially designed drainage pipes that collect and drain groundwater or rainwater through slots or holes in the pipes. In this way, wet areas are made available for agricultural use or building.

Sod tiles are pieces of grass separated from the ground with a thin layer of soil in which the roots are located.

Reduction is a chemical reaction in which a substance gains electrons. In return, another substance gives up the electrons and is oxidised in the process. The reduction is therefore a partial reaction of a redox reaction.

See S – Soil Pore

In conventional farming it is permissible to use artificial fertilisers, pesticides* and herbicides* as well as artificial feed additives in the prescribed amounts in order to increase yield. Livestock may be treated with stronger drugs than in organic farming. This puts a strain on the environment and brings lower prices for the products compared to

Botany is a branch of biology and deals with the science of plants.

The flora – also called “plant world” – includes all plants and their habitat.

This distinction is a subdivision according to the nutrient requirements of plants. This distinction is important when creating crop rotation beds. Heavy feeders (e.g., brassicas) need an extraordinary amount of nutrients for good growth. Therefore, they are the first to be grown in a crop rotation. Average feeders (e.g., carrots) require significantly fewer nutrients. Weak

Atmospheric deposition means the deposition of atmospheric air admixtures on natural and artificial surfaces.