Nitrogen Cycle.ppt

Nitrogen Cycle Sources Lightning Inorganic fertilizers Nitrogen Fixation Animal Residues Crop residues Organic fertilizers Forms of Nitrogen Urea ? CO(NH2)2 Ammonia ? NH3 (gaseous) Ammonium ? NH4 Nitrate ? NO3 Nitrite ? NO2 Atmospheric Dinitrogen ?N2 Organic N Global Nitrogen Reservoirs Roles of Nitrogen Plants and bacteria use nitrogen in the form of NH4+ or NO3- It serves as an electron acceptor in anaerobic environment Nitrogen is often the most limiting nutrient in soil and water. Nitrogen is a key element for amino acids nucleic acids (purine, pyrimidine) cell wall components of bacteria (NAM). Nitrogen Cycles Ammonification/mineralization Immobilization Nitrogen Fixation Nitrification Denitrification Ammonification or Mineralization Mineralization or Ammonification Decomposers: earthworms, termites, slugs, snails, bacteria, and fungi Uses extracellular enzymes ? initiate degradation of plant polymers Microorganisms uses: Proteases, lysozymes, nucleases to degrade nitrogen containing molecules Plants die or bacterial cells lyse ? release of organic nitrogen Organic nitrogen is converted to inorganic nitrogen (NH3) When pH7.5, converted rapidly to NH4 Example: Urea NH3 + 2 CO2 Immobilization The opposite of mineralization Happens when nitrogen is limiting in the environment Nitrogen limitation is governed by C/N ratio C/N typical for soil microbial biomass is 20 C/N 20 ?Mineralization C/N 20 ?Immobilization Nitrogen Fixation Nitrogen Fixation Energy intensive process : N2 + 8H+ + 8e- + 16 ATP = 2NH3 + H2 + 16ADP + 16 Pi Performed only by selected bacteria and actinomycetes Performed in nitrogen fixing crops (ex: soybeans) Microorganisms fixing Azobacter Beijerinckia Azospirillum Clostridium Cyanobacteria Require the enzyme nitrogenase Inhibited by oxygen Inhibited by ammonia (end product) Rates of Nitrogen Fixation Applications to wetlands Occur in overlying waters Aerobic soil Anaerobic soil Oxidized rhizosphere Leaf or stem surfa