1. The Nitrogen Cycle

2. FACTS Most abundant element in the atmosphere (78%)
Required for proteins and nucleic acids
Limiting nutrient for producers added to fertilizers
Legume Plants (symbiotic relationship between nitrogen fixing bacteria and roots of legumes) first successional species because they provide nitrogen to other plants
FACTS

3. Processes Nitrogen fixation (air to soil)
Biological- bacteria live on roots of legumes
Geochemical- atmospheric fixation (lightening)
Nitrification (usable form of nitrogen)- nitrifying bacteria convert ammonia to nitrite and then to nitrate
Assimilation (picked up)
producers take up nitrogen from soil through roots
Consumers take in nitrogen by eating
Processes

4. Processes Ammonification (thrown out)-
decomposers break down dead matter
Animal waste
Denitrification (soil to air)- denitrifying bacteria convert nitrate to atmospheric nitrogen
Processes

5. How to remember Process Products F Fixation (air to ground) A Ammonium
Nitrification
Nitrite –Nitrate
Assimilation (ground-plant-animal) P
Protein
Ammonification (Death-ground) D
Denitrification
Nitrogen (N2) or (N2O)
How to remember

6. Human Impacts Use of inorganic fertilizers ---
Increase in atmospheric nitrogen= acid rain
Loss of biodiversity
Eutrophication (nutrification of waters)---algae bloom---death---decomposition---decomposers deplete the oxygen= zone of hypoxia
Human Impacts