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Science Clinic => Biology => Microbiology => Topic started by: Wadzanai on Oct 17, 2019

Title: How do soil conditions impact the cycling of nitrogen during decomposition?
Post by: Wadzanai on Oct 17, 2019

Question 1

Compare and contrast carbon fixation and nitrogen fixation.

Question 2

How do soil conditions impact the cycling of nitrogen during decomposition?

Title: How do soil conditions impact the cycling of nitrogen during decomposition?
Post by: anyusername12131 on Oct 17, 2019

Answer 1

Both processes convert inorganic compounds into organic forms that living things can use.

Carbon fixation can take place in the presence or absence of oxygen, and there are both prokaryotes and eukaryotes capable of fixing carbon.

Nitrogen fixation can only occur in the absence of oxygen, and only prokaryotes carry out nitrogen fixation.

Answer 2

Soil moisture content influences cycling of nitrogen. In moist soil, the ammonia generated by decomposition of amino acids is converted to ammonium ion and quickly absorbed by organisms. In dry soil the ammonia is lost to the atmosphere.

The pH of the soil also influences whether ammonia is lost to the atmosphere or not: alkaline soil allows ammonia to escape as a gas, while neutral to acidic conditions favor conversion to ammonium ion and retention.