biogeochemical cycles - nitrogen cycle

the nitrogen cycle

• the nitrogen cycle is the biogeochemical cycle by which nitrogen is converted into multiple chemical forms as it circulates amoung the atmosphere, terrestrial + marine ecosystems
• processes: fixation, ammonification, nitrification, denifriciation 
• nitrogen is most abundant element in atmosphere 

what is the importance of nitrogen? 

• nitrogen important for plant growth (structure), plant food processing + the creation of chlorophyll
• without enough nitrogen in plant it cannot grow taller/produce enough food - this have impact on commercial crop growth 

how does nitrogen imapct the soil? 

• without enough plant growth is negatively affected 
• too much nitrogen plants produce excess biomass/organic matter e.g. leaves but not produce enough root strucuture 
• very high levels of nitrogen absorbed from soils can poison farm animals that eat them 

whats the difference between nitrifying bacteria, denitrifying bacteria, nitrifying-fixing bacteria + decomposing the bacteria? 

• nitrifying bacteria - converters of soil ammonia to nitrates, compound usable by plants 
• denitrifying bacteria is the soil break down nitrates + return nitrogen to the air 
• nitrogen fixing bacteria present in soil/in plant roots that change nitrogen gases from the atmosphere into solid nitrogen compounds that plants can use in the soil 
• decomposers convert the nitrogen found in other organisms into ammonia + return it to the soil 

plants uptake nitrogen compound once nitrogen is converted into compounds like ammonium + nitrate, these be taken up from the soils by plants + then nitrogen be used to from macromolecules e.g…