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Related Concept Videos

Microbes and the Nitrogen Cycle01:26

Microbes and the Nitrogen Cycle

The nitrogen cycle is a complex biogeochemical process critical to maintaining the balance of nitrogenous compounds in ecosystems. This cycle involves multiple microbial-mediated transformations through which nitrogen changes oxidation states, supporting essential ecological functions and contributing to plant and microbial growth.Nitrogen Fixation and AmmonificationNitrogen fixation initiates the cycle by converting inert atmospheric nitrogen (N₂) into bioavailable ammonia (NH₃), a process...
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Soil microbial ecology is defined by highly diverse, spatially structured communities that drive nutrient cycling, organic matter turnover, and overall ecosystem stability. Although a gram of soil can contain thousands of bacterial and archaeal taxa, the ecological processes they mediate are even more crucial for sustaining terrestrial life.Microhabitats and NichesSoil is a heterogeneous mixture of minerals, organic matter, water, and air. Microbes inhabit distinct microhabitats formed by...
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An ecological disturbance is a temporary disruption in the environment resulting from abiotic, biotic, or anthropogenic factors, causing a pronounced change in an ecosystem. The impact of an ecological disturbance, which can depend on its intensity, frequency, and spatial distribution, plays a significant role in shaping the species diversity within the ecosystem.Ecological disturbances can be caused by an event as small as the trampling of underbrush to an incident as wide-ranging as a forest...
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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 18, 2026

Measurement of the Potential Rates of Dissimilatory Nitrate Reduction to Ammonium Based on 14NH4+/15NH4+ Analyses via Sequential Conversion to N2O
08:05

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Published on: October 7, 2020

Disturbance reshapes functional redundancy and accelerates nitrification in soil nitrifying communities.

Jun Zhao1, Shannon M Brown1, Jonathan Rodriguez1

  • 1Fort Lauderdale Research and Education Center, Department of Microbiology and Cell Science, University of Florida, Davie, FL, 33314, USA.

The ISME Journal
|June 16, 2026
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Environmental disturbance alters microbial competition in soils. Ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) gain advantage post-disturbance, boosting nitrification and greenhouse gas emissions, while archaea (AOA) play a lesser role.

Keywords:
Ammonia-oxidizing microorganismsEnvironmental disturbanceFunctional redundancyGreenhouse gas emissionsInterspecific competitionNitrification inhibitorNitrogen cycleSoil microcosm

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Last Updated: Jun 18, 2026

Measurement of the Potential Rates of Dissimilatory Nitrate Reduction to Ammonium Based on 14NH4+/15NH4+ Analyses via Sequential Conversion to N2O
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Published on: March 13, 2014

Area of Science:

  • Soil microbiology
  • Environmental science
  • Biogeochemistry

Background:

  • Environmental disturbances are known to alter microbial community structure and function.
  • Linking specific microbial taxa to ecosystem processes in complex soil microbiomes is challenging.
  • Ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA), bacteria (AOB), and comammox are key players in soil nitrification.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how environmental disturbance restructures competition among ammonia-oxidizing microbial taxa in soils.
  • To determine the impact of these changes on nitrification rates and nitrous oxide emissions.
  • To elucidate the mechanisms driving shifts in microbial dominance and their functional consequences.

Main Methods:

  • Simulated environmental disturbance in organic and sandy soil microcosms.
  • Utilized bacterial and archaeal nitrifiers as a tractable model guild.
  • Quantified changes in microbial abundance, activity, and nitrification rates.

Main Results:

  • Under undisturbed conditions, ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) predominated.
  • Following disturbance, ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB) and comammox gained a competitive advantage due to increased ammonium availability and higher growth rates.
  • AOB were crucial for full post-disturbance nitrogen turnover, leading to increased nitrification and nitrous oxide emissions; AOA and comammox had limited roles in recovery.

Conclusions:

  • Environmental disturbance reshapes competition among functionally redundant nitrifiers through differential growth and activity traits.
  • The study reveals a spectrum from r- to K-strategists within bacterial and archaeal nitrifiers.
  • Disturbance favors AOB, transforming community assembly and intensifying nutrient cycling and greenhouse gas fluxes.