Nitrogen Cycle

Question 1

what are the steps on nitrogen fixiation?

Answer 1

-nitrogen gas in the air is turned into ammonia by bacteria called RHIZOBIUM.

Question 2

what are the steps for Ammonification?

Answer 2

-when ammonia is turned into ammonium ions by sapriobiants
e.g animal waste such as faeces and urine contianing nitrogen compounds can be turned into ammonia then ammonium ions

Question 3

what are the steps of nitrification?

Answer 3

-when ammonium ions are coverted into nitrogen compounds that could be used by plants
-ammonium ions to nitrites by the use of bacteria nitrosomonas
nitrites to nitrates by the use of bacteria, nitrobacter

Question 4

steps for denitrification?

Answer 4

• nitrates are converted into nitrogen gas by dentrifiying bacteria
  -this happens in anearobic conditons and waterlogged soil

Question 5

what is the order of conversion, beginning with nitrogen gas from the ATMOSPHERE to nitrogen gas from SOIL?

Answer 5

nitrogen gas < Ammonia < Ammonium< nitrates< nitrites<
(from atmosphere)
nitrogen gas (from soil)

Question 6

what are saprobiants and their role?

Answer 6

-they are a type of decomposers
-they secrete enzymes and digest their food externally, then absorb the nutrients they need

Question 7

what other ways can nitrogen enter an ecosystem?

Answer 7

-lightning= fixes atmospheric nitrogen
-artificial fertilisers= produced from atmospheric nitrogen on industrial scale

Question 8

describe another process carried by microrganisms which adds ammonium ions to the soil.

Question 9

denitrification requires anearobic conditions. ploughing aeorates the soil. explain how plouhging would effect the fertility of the soil?

Answer 9

-fertility increases as MORE NITRATES formed
- less denitrification