Glossary
The English version of our glossary is currently under construction and will be regularly updated.
Tracers
Specific substances or materials used to track the transport or conversion of elements or compounds in a given ecosystem or biogeochemical cycle.
For example, the radioactive form of a given element can be used as a tracer to follow its transport and conversion in various environmental media like the soil, water or air. The use of tracers allows researchers to quantify and reproduce the speed, direction and distribution of transport processes in a range of systems, while also helping them grasp how the biogeochemical processes in a given system work.
Tracers can also be used to investigate the effects of human activities on biogeochemical processes and ecosystems. For example, using tracers based on carbon, nitrogen or sulphur can help to gauge the effects of human activities like land-use changes, spreading fertiliser, or burning fossil fuels on the carbon, nitrogen or sulphur cycle in a given ecosystem.