nitrogen cycle

• Nitrifying bacteria

  Turns ammonia in decaying matter into nitrItes and then nitrAtes
• decomposers

  decompose urea + proteins into ammonia which forms NH4+ (ammonium ions)
• nitrogen fixing bacteria

  turns N2 gas into ammonia and then into ammonium
• denitrifying bacteria

  turns nitrates → N2 gas.

  DOESNT benefit living organisms

  found in waterlogged soil
• nitrogen fixation

  is where the nitrogen in the air is turned into nitrogen containing ions in the soil that the plants can use
• nitrogen fixation 2 types

  • lightning
  • nitrogen fixing bacteria
• lightning a type of nitrogen fixation

  there's sm energy in a bolt of lightning that it makes nitrogen and oxygen in the air to react to form nitrates
• farmers can increase the amount of N2 in soil. crops r harvested so there is no dead plants that decompose to allow their N2 to be recycled by the soil. so the amount of N2 in the soil decreases this can cause poor crop growth + plant deficiency's due to the lack of N2 in the soil
• crop rotation- method to increase N2 in the soil

  diff plants r planted in a cycle, N2 fixing crops r also planted in the soil to increase the amount of N2
• fertilisers - method to increase the N2 in the soil

  animal manure, compost or artificial fertilisers can be spread on fields to recycle the N2 allowing them to enter the soil thru decomposition

  artificial ones r more expensive