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Overview of Nitrogen Metabolism

Overview of Nitrogen Metabolism

Nitrogen is a very important element for life because it is a major constituent of proteins and nucleic acids. It is a macronutrient, and in nature, it is recycled from organic compounds and stored in the form of ammonia, ammonium ions, nitrate, nitrite, or nitrogen gas by many metabolic processes. Many of these metabolic processes are carried out only by prokaryotes.
The largest pool of nitrogen available in the terrestrial ecosystem is gaseous nitrogen (N2) from the air, but this...

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The Nitrogen Cycle

The Nitrogen Cycle

Nitrogen atoms, present in all proteins and DNA, are recycled between abiotic and biotic components of the ecosystem. However, the primary form of nitrogen on Earth is nitrogen gas, which cannot be used by most animals and plants. Thus, nitrogen gas must first be converted into a usable form by nitrogen-fixing bacteria before it can be cycled through other living organisms. The use of nitrogen-containing fertilizers and animal waste products in human agriculture has greatly influenced the...

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Overview of Metabolism

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Carbon dioxide fixation in prokaryotes enables the assimilation of inorganic carbon into organic molecules, supporting biosynthetic pathways, sustaining ecosystems, and contributing to the global carbon cycle. It also has industrial applications in carbon capture and bioproduct synthesis. Autotrophic organisms rely on this process to utilize CO₂ as a carbon source in diverse environments.The Calvin CycleThe Calvin cycle is the most widespread carbon fixation mechanism, primarily used by...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 4, 2025

Assessment of Methane and Nitrous Oxide Fluxes from Paddy Field by Means of Static Closed Chambers Maintaining Plants Within Headspace

Assessment of Methane and Nitrous Oxide Fluxes from Paddy Field by Means of Static Closed Chambers Maintaining Plants Within Headspace

Published on: September 6, 2018

Nitrogen-fixing trees increase soil nitrous oxide emissions: a meta-analysis.

Sian Kou-Giesbrecht¹, Duncan N L Menge¹

¹Department of Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, New York, 10027, USA.

|May 27, 2021

Summary

Nitrogen-fixing trees significantly increase soil nitrous oxide emissions, a potent greenhouse gas. Reforestation with these trees may offset climate change mitigation goals by increasing these emissions.

Keywords:

carbon dioxide nitrogen cycling nitrogen-fixing trees nitrous oxide reforestation

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Last Updated: Nov 4, 2025

Assessment of Methane and Nitrous Oxide Fluxes from Paddy Field by Means of Static Closed Chambers Maintaining Plants Within Headspace

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Published on: September 6, 2018

Measurement of Greenhouse Gas Flux from Agricultural Soils Using Static Chambers

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Published on: August 3, 2014

Calibrated Passive Sampling - Multi-plot Field Measurements of NH3 Emissions with a Combination of Dynamic Tube Method and Passive Samplers

Calibrated Passive Sampling - Multi-plot Field Measurements of NH3 Emissions with a Combination of Dynamic Tube Method and Passive Samplers

Published on: March 21, 2016

Area of Science:

Ecology
Environmental Science
Climate Change Research

Background:

Nitrogen-fixing trees are crucial nitrogen sources for terrestrial ecosystems.
They enhance primary production and carbon sequestration.
However, they may also increase soil emissions of nitrous oxide (N2O), a potent greenhouse gas.

Purpose of the Study:

To quantitatively synthesize the influence of nitrogen-fixing trees on soil nitrous oxide emissions.
To assess the potential impact of nitrogen-fixing trees in reforestation on global greenhouse gas budgets.

Main Methods:

A meta-analysis was conducted to synthesize existing studies.
Comparisons were made between nitrogen-fixing and non-fixing trees and soils.

Main Results:

Nitrogen-fixing trees more than double soil nitrous oxide emissions compared to non-fixing counterparts.
Global-scale reforestation with nitrogen-fixing trees could increase natural terrestrial ecosystem N2O emissions by up to 4.1%.

Conclusions:

Nitrogen-fixing trees represent a significant source of soil nitrous oxide emissions.
Their widespread use in reforestation could partially counteract climate change mitigation benefits.