Nitrogen Cycle

Sources
Lightning Inorganic fertilizers Nitrogen Fixation Animal Residues Crop residues Organic fertilizers

Forms of Nitrogen
Urea CO(NH 2 ) 2 Ammonia NH 3 (gaseous) Ammonium NH 4 Nitrate NO 3 Nitrite NO 2 Atmospheric Dinitrogen N 2 Organic N

Global Nitrogen Reservoirs

Nitrogen Reservoir Atmosphere Ocean soluble salts Biomass Land organic matter Biota Metric tons nitrogen 3.9*10 15 6.9*10 11 5.2*10 8 Actively cycled No Yes Yes

1.1*10 11 2.5*10 10

Slow Yes

Roles of Nitrogen
Plants and bacteria use nitrogen in + the form of NH 4 or NO 3 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

N2 N2O NH 4 NO 2

R-NH 2 NO NO 2 NO 3

Ammonification or Mineralization
N2 N2O NH 4 NO 2

R-NH 2 NO NO 2 NO 3

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 (NH 3 ) When pH<7.5, converted rapidly to NH Example: Urea NH 3 + 2 CO 2 4

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
N2 N2O NH 4 NO 2

R-NH 2 NO NO 2 NO 3

Nitrogen Fixation
Energy intensive process : N 2 + 8H+ + 8e - + 16 ATP = 2NH 3 + H 2 + 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

N 2 fixing system Rhizobium-legume Cyanobacteriamoss Rhizosphere associations Free- living Nitrogen Fixation (kg N/hect/year) 200-300 30-40 2-25 1-2

Applications to wetlands
Occur in overlying waters Aerobic soil Anaerobic soil Oxidized rhizosphere Leaf or stem surfaces of plants

Bacterial Fixation
Occurs mostly in salt marshes Is absent from low pH peat of northern bogs Cyanobacteria found in waterlogged soils

Nitrification
N2 N2O NH 4 NO 2

R-NH 2 NO NO 2 NO 3

Nitrification
Two step reactions that occur together : 1 rst step catalyzed by Nitrosomonas 2 NH 4 + + 3 O2 2 NO 2 - +2 H 2 O+ 4 H+ 2 nd step catalyzed by Nitrobacter 2 NO 2 + O2 2 NO 3

 Optimal pH is between If pH < 6.0 If pH < 4.5

6.6-8.0

rate is slowed reaction is inhibited

In which type of wetlands do you thing Nitrification occurs?

Denitrification
N2 N2O NH 4 NO 2

R-NH 2 NO NO 2 NO 3

Denitrification
Removes a limiting nutrient from the environment 4NO 3 + C 6 H 12 O6 2N 2 + 6 H 2 0 Inhibited by O2 Not inhibited by ammonia Microbial reaction Nitrate is the terminal electron acceptor

Looking at the Nitrogen cycle through the eye of NH 4

Surfa ce water Oxidize d layer Reduc ed soil layer Low [NH 4 ] Biodegrada tion C/N <20 C/N >20 [NH 4 ] HIGH

Slow Diffusion

Surfa ce water Oxidize d layer Reduc ed soil layer

nitrificat ion Low [NH 4 ] [NO 3 ] high

Slow Diffusion [NH 4 ] HIGH

Surfa ce water Oxidize d layer Reduc ed soil layer [NO 3 ] high Leachin g [NO 3 ] Low

N2

Denitrifica tion