Nitrogen CycleEcology section for Physical Science

Nitrogen Storage

•Nitrogen is stored in many ways ...

Nitrogen Storage

Nitrogen is found as nitrogen gas in the

atmosphere

Nitrogen Storage

Nitrogen is stored in the soil as NITRATES for plants to absorb and grow larger

Plants can only take in nitrogen in the form of

NITRATES

Nitrogen Storage

•AMMONIUM - found in the soil, formed when animals and plants decompose or produce waste

Nitrogen Storage

Plants store nitrogen in the form of PROTEINSAnimals store nitrogen in the form of PROTEINS too.PROTEINS make animals and plants bigger.

Nitrogen transfer

•Before nitrogen can move from one place to another, it has to be TRANSFORMED into the correct form...

Nitrogen transfer

NITRIFICATION - forming NITRATES for plants and

animals from different forms

Nitrogen gas => NitratesAmmonium => Nitrates

Nitrogen transfer

Nitrogen Fixing Bacteria in nodules of plant roots turn

nitrogen gas into NITRATES for plants

Nitrogen Transfer

Bacteria break down plant and animal waste into ammonium in the soil

Nitrogen transfer

DENITRIFICATION - when ammonium is transformed

into nitrogen gas and released into the

atmosphere

so let’s put it all together

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