The Nitrogen Economy of Marine and Land Environments

  • John R. Postgate
Chapter

Abstract

Biological productivity in the terrestrial biosphere involves the incorporation of various chemical elements into living matter and their subsequent return to the inanimate environment. The elements involved are those that participate in the structure of living things, the ‘biological elements’, and their transitions from inorganic to organic combination and back can be formalised as cycles. The carbon, nitrogen and sulphur cycles are familiar illustrations of the global turnover of these elements in the biosphere; they are the resultants of both biological and chemical action in the relevant elements and their compounds, modified by translocation processes (diffusion, solution, evaporation, sedimentation and so on). Though they involve the participation of all living things, it is axiomatic that micro-organisms, particularly bacteria and fungi, are of crucial importance.

Keywords

Nitrogen Fixation Nitrogen Cycle Subterranean Clover Biological Fixation Root Nodule Bacterium 
These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.
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Copyright information

© Applied Science Publishers Ltd 1980

Authors and Affiliations

  • John R. Postgate
    • 1
  1. 1.ARC Unit of Nitrogen FixationUniversity of SussexBrightonUK

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