Glossary

Peat is a substrate of bogs that contains more than 30 percent organic matter in dry matter. Peat is formed by the activity of bacteria and fungi in soils with high water content from the accumulation of incompletely decomposed plant matter in the absence of oxygen.

Wood fibres, wood chips or bark products obtained from wood waste, which are used in potting soil instead of peat. They have good properties similar to those of peat, but no bogs are destroyed in order to obtain them.

Originally, a “pergola” was a sun protection standing on columns or pillars, which adorned the path from the house to the terrace. Today, these canopies are placed in all possible variants in different places as sun protection. They are usually overgrown with climbing plants.

This term describes chemical agents for the destruction of plant and animal pests of all kinds.

Under the influence of hydrocarbons and oxygen, nitrogen can be converted into photo-oxidants with the help of solar radiation. These include ozone, peroxyacetyl nitrate (PAN) and nitric acid. All of these contribute to air pollution.

A plant species is referred to as a “pioneer plant” in that it can adapt well to the colonisation of new areas that are still bare of vegetation.

All atmospheric circulation systems are summarized under the term “planetary circulation” (also called general, planetary or global circulation). The weather dynamics in the earth’s atmosphere are determined by their interaction.

See S – Soil Pore

Organisms that live on animal excrement, dead plants and dead animals (carrion). They break up and transport organic material in the soil. This is then broken down by secondary decomposers into inorganic substances. Important primary decomposers are earthworms, enchytraea, soil mites, fly larvae, isopods and snails.

Nutrients and energy are passed on in cycles in almost all ecosystems. Producers are the organisms that produce biomass. These are mainly plants and bacteria. Consumers consume this biomass and are dependent energy-wise on the producers. Consumers are mainly humans and animals. Decomposers are the creatures in the producer-consumer-decomposer cycle that are responsible for breaking