Answer:
Soil bacteria are mainly involved in four steps in nitrogen cycle.
- Nitrogen fixation
- Nitrification
- Ammonification
- Denitrification
Explanation:
- First of all atmospheric nitrogen is fixed by soil bacteria (N2 to NH3/ NH4+, NO3-)
- Nitrification: The conversion of ammonium to nitrate is performed primarily by soil-living bacteria and other nitrifying bacteria (NH3 to NO3-)
- When a plant or animal dies or an animal expels waste, the initial form of nitrogen is organic. Bacteria or fungi convert the organic nitrogen within the remains back into ammonium (NH+4), a process called ammonification.
- Denitrification is the reduction of nitrates back into nitrogen gas (N2), completing the nitrogen cycle. This process is performed by bacterial species such as Pseudomonas and Clostridium in anaerobic conditions.
