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
Nitrogen Metric tons Actively cycled
Reservoir nitrogen
Atmosphere 3.9*1015 No
Ocean 
soluble salts 6.9*1011 Yes
Biomass 5.2*108 Yes

Land  organic
matter 1.1*1011 Slow
 Biota 2.5*1010 Yes
 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
 N2

N2O NH4 NO2

R-NH2

NO
NO2 NO3
 Ammonification or Mineralization
N2

N2O NH4 NO2

R-NH2

NO
NO2 NO3
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 pH<7.5, 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
N2

N2O NH4 NO2

R-NH2

NO
NO2
NO3
 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 • Require the enzyme
• Beijerinckia nitrogenase
• Azospirillum • Inhibited by oxygen
• Clostridium • Inhibited by
• Cyanobacteria ammonia (end
product)
 Rates of Nitrogen Fixation
N2 fixing system Nitrogen Fixation (kg
N/hect/year)
Rhizobium-legume 200-300

Cyanobacteria- moss 30-40

Rhizosphere 2-25
associations
Free- living 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 NH4 NO2

R-NH2

NO
NO2 NO3
 Nitrification
Two step reactions that occur together :

• 1rst step catalyzed by Nitrosomonas

2 NH4+ + 3 O2  2 NO2- +2 H2O+ 4 H+

• 2nd step catalyzed by Nitrobacter

• 2 NO2 + O2  2 NO3
- -
• Optimal pH is between 6.6-8.0
• If pH < 6.0  rate is slowed

• If pH < 4.5  reaction is inhibited

In which type of wetlands do

you thing Nitrification occurs?
 Denitrification
N2

N2O NH4 NO2

R-NH2

NO
NO2
NO3
 Denitrification
• Removes a limiting nutrient from the
environment
• 4NO3- + C6H12O6 2N2 + 6 H20
• Inhibited by O2
• Not inhibited by ammonia
• Microbial reaction
• Nitrate is the terminal electron acceptor
Looking at the Nitrogen
cycle through the eye of
NH4
Surfac
e
water
Oxidized Low
layer [NH4]

Biodegradati
Reduce
d soil on
Slow Diffusion
layer C/N <20
C/N >20
[NH4]
HIGH
Surfac
nitrificatio
e
n
water
Oxidized Low
[NO3]
layer [NH4]
high

Reduce
d soil Slow Diffusion
layer

[NH4]
HIGH
Surfac N2
e
water
Oxidized [NO3]
layer high

Leaching
Reduce
d soil
layer
[NO3] Low
Denitrificatio
n