Biogeochemical Cycles

Inquiry Project
By: Erin Smith
Nitrogen And Its Importance To Plants
Nitrogen is very vital to plants. Plants use nitrogen to basically make themselves.
Nitrogen helps a plant make amino acids, proteins, and even its own DNA. So without
nitrogen, plants wouldnt be able to do any of this which would cause the plant to die.
Nitrogen is often the nutrient that limits primary production in many ecosystems.
The reason for this is because plants can only use nitrogen when it is converted into a
gas to a biologically available nitrogen. This process is called nitrogen fixation. This is
just one of the steps that makes up this complex cycle.
 Nitrogen Cycle
Few organisms can use atmospheric nitrogen (N2), which means that it must be fixed in a
process called nitrogen fixation. Nitrogen is deposited from the atmosphere to soils and surface
waters, through precipitation. Certain nitrogen fixing bacteria live in the soil and some even form
symbiotic relationships with the root nodules of some plants. These bacteria sit around while
converting atmospheric nitrogen into ammonia, (ammonification) and when mixed with water,
becomes ammonium which can be used by plants. After this, nitrifying bacteria can take this
ammonia and convert it into nitrites (No2-) and then nitrates (No3-), (nitrification). Plant roots
assimilate nitrogen mainly in the form of nitrates (assimilation). Once the atmospheric nitrogen
is converted into a form that plants can use to make DNA, RNA, and amino acids, organic
nitrogen takes off up the food chain. Animals eat plants and use the bio-available nitrogen to
make our own amino acids. We pee/poop it out and eventually die. Decomposers break it down
to ammonia. This process keeps on going until organic nitrogen finds itself in denitrifying
bacteria, denitrifying bacteria metabolize nitrogen oxides and turn them back into nitrogen gas.
They then let the N2 back into the atmosphere, where the nitrogen cycle can start over
(Denitrification). Something called eutrophication can occur when there is too much of a good
thing. In this case, these are used in synthetic fertilizers which runoff into aquatic ecosystems.
My Solution
So, boats and planes stop coming to Maui which means no more goods being shipped
over. In order for Maui to have enough to eat I have to come up with a solution as to
how plants will get enough nitrogen. Maui has huge access to fish, they are literally
everywhere and we definitely use it to our advantage. My solution would be to make a
homemade fish emulsion. Fish are very high in nitrogen which is why this solution
works. This process would be fairly simple. We simply have to put leftover fish parts in
a bucket, fill the bucket about half way by layering it with brown organic matter (leaf
litter), fill the bucket with water, put a lid on the bucket, stir the mixture every couple
days for a few weeks, pour off the water into a separate bucket, dilute the emulsion
with water, and then the emulsion is ready to be used.
Other Solutions
People all over the world are having or have had a nitrogen deficiency in their plants,
most likely the cause for plants yellowing. Some solutions that other people have come
up with are to add composted manure to the soil, plant green manure crops, plant
nitrogen fixing plants, adding coffee grounds to the soil, and simply using a nitrogen
fertilizer. Since the mid-1900s, humans have been exerting an ever-increasing impact
on the global nitrogen cycle. Since humans have been using these techniques, it has
significantly altered the amount of fixed nitrogen in the earth's ecosystems. But, doing
this helps prevent plants from yellowing which in turn provides food for humans.
Sources
1. http://www.cropnutrition.com/efu-nitrogen
2. https://www.gardeningknowhow.com/garden-how-to/soil-fertilizers/nitrogen-
plant-fertilizer.htm
3. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=leHy-Y_8nRs