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Soil Health and Climate Change pp 107–129Cite as

The Nitrogen Cycle: Implications for Management, Soil Health, and Climate Change

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Part of the book series: Soil Biology ((SOILBIOL,volume 29))

Abstract

It is estimated that around 170 Tg N year−1 of reactive nitrogen (N) is produced on a global basis by industry, fossil fuel burning, and biological N fixation. It is applied to land both deliberately to help produce enough food and fiber, and indirectly via atmospheric deposition as pollution. These human interventions to the N cycle, which is naturally highly conservative to loss pathways, are contributing to climate change effects, for example, by enhancing nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions. Nitrogen-driven carbon (C) storage through increased plant growth in non-forested or agricultural systems may be modest, but increased N deposition has been shown to substantially increase carbon dioxide (CO2) uptake by certain forests. Climate change drivers such as elevated CO2 and temperature can further influence the terrestrial C and N cycling and alter soil N availability, which constrains the CO2 sink capacity of earth’s biosphere. In this chapter, an attempt has been made to evaluate the impacts of anthropogenic drivers on the terrestrial N cycle with implications for soil health and climate change. Consequences of changes in soil health parameters such as N availability, carbon sequestration, and acidification in relation to managing fertilizer N use in agro-ecosystems with the aim of increasing productivity but reducing greenhouse gas emissions have been discussed.

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Acknowledgments

I appreciate constructive comments from two anonymous reviewers as well as the editors, especially the senior editor, on earlier drafts.

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  1. Punjab Agricultural University, Ludhiana, 141 004, Punjab, India

    Bijay-Singh

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  1. Forest Science Centre, Oratava Avenue 121-131, West Pennant Hills, 2125, New South Wales, Australia

    Bhupinder Pal Singh

  2. Forest Resources Research, NSW Department of Primary Industries, Beecroft, New South Wales, Australia

    Annette L. Cowie

  3. Hawkesbury District Office, NSW Department of Primary Industries, Richmond, New South Wales, Australia

    K. Yin Chan

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Bijay-Singh (2011). The Nitrogen Cycle: Implications for Management, Soil Health, and Climate Change. In: Singh, B., Cowie, A., Chan, K. (eds) Soil Health and Climate Change. Soil Biology, vol 29. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-20256-8_6

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