nitrogen-cycle
The nitrogen cycle describes how nitrogen moves through the atmosphere, soil, and living organisms via processes like fixation, ammonification, nitrification, and denitrification, transforming it into forms plants can absorb. Since nitrogen is a key building block of chlorophyll, amino acids, and nucleic acids, plant growth and productivity are directly tied to how efficiently this element is cycled and made available in the soil. Understanding these pathways helps researchers improve crop yields, manage fertilizer use, and study plant-microbe symbioses such as those with nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
open_in_new WikipediaSoil microbes capture more carbon when warm, far less when dry
The alpine meadows grazing animals depend on are running a carbon-nitrogen trade-off underground ...
Weathered plastic bits disrupt nitrogen cycling in coastal wetland soils
The salt marshes and mudflats that filter runoff before it reaches the coast rely on a delicate m...