The Nitrogen Cycle

The Nitrogen Cycle

• Represents one of
the most important
nutrient cycles found
in terrestrial
ecosystems. Model
that describes the
movement of
nitrogen in its many
forms between the
hydrosphere,
lithosphere,
atmosphere, and
biosphere.
The Hydrosphere
• The hydrosphere
describes the
waters of the
earth. Water exists
on the earth in
various stores,
including the:
atmosphere,
oceans, lakes,
rivers, glaciers,
snowfields, and
groundwater.
Hydrosphere Continued…
• Water moves from one
store to another by way
of: evaporation,
condensation,
precipitation,
deposition, runoff,
infiltration,
sublimation,
transpiration, and
groundwater flow.
 Hydrosphere Continued…

• The form and movement of nitrogen are

greatly influenced by components of the
hydrologic cycle, which is particularly
important for agriculture and the
environment.
The Lithosphere
• Rigid outer layer of
earth; Includes crust
and upper part of
mantle.
• Relatively strong
layer in contrast to
underlying
asthenosphere.
 Lithosphere Continued…
• The brittle most
upper layer of the • The lithosphere
Earth that is rests on a soft
broken up into a layer called the
number of tectonic asthenosphere,
plates. over which the
• Consists of the plates of the
heavy oceanic and lithosphere glide.
lighter continental
crusts and the
upper part of the
mantle.
• Life on earth is supported by the atmosphere,
The Atmosphere
solar energy, and our planet's magnetic fields.
The atmosphere absorbs the energy from the
sun, recycles water and other chemicals, and
works with the electrical and magnetic forces to
provide a moderate climate.

The atmosphere
• The atmosphere also protects us from high-
energy radiation and the frigid vacuum of
space.
Composition of Atmosphere
• The atmosphere is
primarily composed of
nitrogen (N2, 78%),
oxygen (O2, 21%), and
argon (Ar, 1%).
• A number of other
very influential
components are also
present: the water
(H2O, 0 - 7%),
"greenhouse" gases
or ozone (O, 0 -
0.01%), carbon
dioxide (CO2, 0.01-
0.1%).
Composition of Atmosphere contd.

• Nitrogen, mostly in the form of ammonium

and nitrate, reaches the Earth's surface as a
result of atmospheric lightning, precipitation
and industrial pollution.
 The Biosphere
• The biosphere is the life zone of the Earth and
includes all living organisms, including man,
and all organic matter that has not yet
decomposed.
• The biosphere is structured into a hierarchy
known as the food chain whereby all life is
dependent upon the first tier (i.e. mainly the
primary producers that are capable of
photosynthesis).
Biosphere contd.
• The biosphere can be
divided into distinct
ecosystems that
represent the
interactions between a
group of organisms
forming a trophic
pyramid and the
environment or habitat
in which they live.
 Biosphere contd.

• Animals consume nitrogen from plants

• Plants consume nitrogen from the soil
• Soil gets nitrogen from water or rain that
contains nitrogen.
 Nitrogen Cycle Continued…

• All life requires nitrogen-compounds, e.G.,

Proteins and nucleic acids.
• Air, which is 79% nitrogen gas (N2), is the
major reservoir of nitrogen.
• But most organisms cannot use nitrogen in
this form.
• Plants must secure their
nitrogen in "fixed" form,
i.e., incorporated in
compounds such as:
Nitrate ions (NO3-)
• Ammonia (NH3)
• Urea (NH2)2CO
• Animals secure their
nitrogen (and all other)
compounds from plants
(or animals that have fed
on plants).
 Nitrogen Fixation
• Three processes are • atmospheric fixation
responsible for most by lightning
of the nitrogen • biological fixation by
fixation in the certain microbes -
biosphere are … alone or in a
symbiotic
relationship with
plants
• industrial fixation
Atmospheric Fixation
• The enormous energy of
lightning breaks nitrogen
molecules and enables their
atoms to combine with oxygen
in the air forming nitrogen
oxides.

• These dissolve in rain,

forming nitrates, that are
carried to the earth.

• Atmospheric nitrogen fixation

probably contributes some 5-
8% of the total nitrogen fixed.
 Biological Fixation

• The ability to fix nitrogen is found only in

certain bacteria.
• Some live in a symbiotic relationship
with plants of the legume family (e.g.,
soybeans, alfalfa).
• Some establish symbiotic relationships
with plants other than legumes (e.g.,
alders).
 Biological Fixation contd.

• Some nitrogen-fixing bacteria live free in

the soil.
• Nitrogen-fixing cyanobacteria are
essential to maintaining the fertility of
semi-aquatic environments like rice
paddies.
Industrial Fixation
• Under great pressure, at a
temperature of 600°C, and with
the use of a catalyst, atmospheric
nitrogen and hydrogen (usually
derived from natural gas or
petroleum) can be combined to
form ammonia (NH3).
• Ammonia can be used directly as
fertilizer, but most of its is further
processed to urea and ammonium
nitrate (NH4NO3).
 Decay

• Proteins made by
plants enter and
pass through food
webs just as
carbohydrates do.
• At each trophic
level, their
metabolism
produces organic
nitrogen compounds
that return to the
environment, chiefly
in excretions.
 Decay contd.

• The final beneficiaries of these

materials are microorganisms of
decay. They break down the
molecules in excretions and dead
organisms into ammonia.
 Nitrification
• Ammonia can be • Bacteria of the genus
taken up directly by Nitrosomonas oxidize
plants - usually NH3 to nitrites(NO2-).
through their roots. • Bacteria of the genus
• Most of the ammonia Nitrobacter oxidize
produced by decay is the nitrites to nitrates
converted into (NO3-).
nitrates. This is
accomplished in two
steps:
 Nitrification Contd.
• These two groups or autotrophic bacteria are
called nitrifying bacteria. Through their
activities (which supply them with all their
energy needs), nitrogen is made available to
the roots of plants.
 Assimilation
• Plant roots absorb inorganic ammonia,
ammonium ions, and nitrate ions.
Formed by nitrification and nitrogen
fixation.
• Ions are used to make nitrogen
containing organic molecules such as:
– DNA
– Amino Acids
– Proteins
 Dentrification
• The three processes above remove nitrogen
from the atmosphere and pass it through
ecosystems.
• Denitrification reduces nitrates to nitrogen gas,
thus replenishing the atmosphere.
• Bacteria are again the agents. They live deep in
soil and in aquatic sediments where conditions
are anaerobic. They use nitrates as an
alternative to oxygen for the final electron
acceptor in their respiration.
 Human Influence
• German chemist of WWII, Fritz Haber
developed a chemical process in which
nitrogen and hydrogen gas combine to
form gaseous ammonia.
• Coupled with irrigation, this input of
nitrogen into the soil revolutionized
agriculture by increasing crop yields
Ways Humans Intervene… #1

• We emit a large amount of nitrogen into the

atmosphere when we burn fuel
Ways Humans Intervene… #2
• We emit heat-trapping nitrous oxide gas into
the atmosphere through anaerobic bacteria on
livestock wastes and commercial inorganic
fertilizers applied to the soil
• Emission of this gas rise and account for few
greenhouse gases that can cause global
warming
• When it reaches the stratosphere, it depletes
some of the ozone layer
Ways Humans Intervene… #3

• We remove nitrogen from the earth's

crust when we mine nitrogen-containing
materials for fertilizers
• Deplete nitrogen from soil by harvesting
nitrogen-rich crops
• Leach water-soluble nitrate ions from soil
by irrigation
Ways Humans Intervene… #4

• Remove nitrogen from soil when we burn

grasslands and clear forests before
planting crops
Ways Humans Intervene… #5
• Add excess nitrogen compounds to aqautic
systems in agricultural runoff, sewage, and
deposition of nitrogen compounds from the
atmosphere
…5
• Stimulates excess growth of algae and other
aquatic plants
• Breakdown of dead algae by aerobic
decomposers deplete water of dissolved oxygen
and disrupt aquatic systems and reduce aquatic
biodiversity
Ways Humans Intervene… #6

• Add excess nitrogen compounds to

terrestrial ecosystems through
atmospheric deposition…
 Atmospheric Deposition
• The movement of reactive nitrogen
compounds, such as nitric acid, nitrogen
dioxide, from the atmosphere onto plant
leaves and other surfaces
 Atmospheric Deposition
• The nitrogen becomes available for plant
and microbial growth, and can lead to
weeds which can better use nitrogen for
growth, outgrowing/eliminating other
plants that cant use nitrogen as well.
• THUS: our excessive inputs of nitrogen
into the atmosphere can reduce
terrestrial biodiversity