Nitrogen transformations

Nitrogen is essential for life on Earth. Soil biota are responsible for its accumulation, persistence, and loss from ecosystems. Microbial nitrogen transformations include its capture from the atmosphere, mineralization from soil organic matter, nitrification into forms more likely to be lost, and denitrification back to atmospheric forms. Our understanding of nitrogen cycles in soil has been transformed in recent years with the discovery of new microbial taxa via the application of modern genomic technologies, new processes via the application of new analytical approaches, and new insights into the functional importance of soil biodiversity. Understanding nitrogen cycle transformations in soil is key to understanding the terrestrial and thus the global nitrogen cycle, including the cumulative environmental impact of reactive nitrogen as it accelerates productivity, contributes to climate change, and suppresses biodiversity in ecosystems worldwide.