nitrogen-cycling
Nitrogen-cycling is the biogeochemical process through which nitrogen circulates in different chemical forms in ecosystems via biological transformations such as fixation, nitrification, and denitrification. Plants depend critically on this cycle to acquire usable nitrogen, since they cannot directly access atmospheric nitrogen despite its abundance. Understanding nitrogen cycling is essential for plant science, as it governs plant nutrition, soil health, and the productivity of agricultural and natural ecosystems.
open_in_new WikipediaPubMed · 2026-02-15
High-altitude wastewater treatment plants struggle with nitrogen removal due to low atmospheric pressure reducing oxygen availability. Researchers found that microbial communities adapt by shifting toward specialized denitrifying organisms and alternative metabolic pathways, offering solutions to maintain treatment efficiency in mountainous regions.
Low atmospheric pressure reduces oxygen solubility and transfer rates, suppressing nitrification and causing toxic nitrite accumulation in bioreactors
Microbial communities reorganize toward denitrifying polyphosphate-accumulating organisms (DPAOs) and denitrifying glycogen-accumulating organisms (DGAOs) to compensate
Systems shift from oxidative to electron-efficient metabolic pathways with expanded carbon metabolism, utilizing carboxylic acids and amino acids for energy and electron supply