| Abstract from DBPedia | The nitrogen cycle is the biogeochemical cycle by which nitrogen is converted into multiple chemical forms as it circulates among atmospheric, terrestrial, and marine ecosystems. The conversion of nitrogen can be carried out through both biological and physical processes. Important processes in the nitrogen cycle include fixation, ammonification, nitrification, and denitrification. The majority of Earth's atmosphere (78%) is atmospheric nitrogen, making it the largest source of nitrogen. However, atmospheric nitrogen has limited availability for biological use, leading to a scarcity of usable nitrogen in many types of ecosystems. The nitrogen cycle is of particular interest to ecologists because nitrogen availability can affect the rate of key ecosystem processes, including primary production and decomposition. Human activities such as fossil fuel combustion, use of artificial nitrogen fertilizers, and release of nitrogen in wastewater have dramatically altered the global nitrogen cycle. Human modification of the global nitrogen cycle can negatively affect the natural environment system and also human health.窒素循環（ちっそじゅんかん、英：Nitrogen cycle）は、地球上において窒素が大気圏、岩石圏、生物圏などの各環境間でやり取りされる中で形成される大きな循環をいう。炭素循環などともに生物地球化学的循環の一つ。地球上の生物にとって窒素はタンパク質や核酸の主要構成要素であり、必須元素の一つである。 (Source: http://dbpedia.org/resource/Nitrogen_cycle) |
