Microbial Biogeochemical Cycling of Nitrogen in Arid Ecosystems
Jean‐Baptiste Ramond, Karen Jordaan, Beatriz Dı́ez, Sandra M. Heinzelmann, Don A. Cowan
Abstract
Arid ecosystems cover ∼40% of the Earth’s terrestrial surface and store a high proportion of the global nitrogen (N) pool. They are low-productivity, low-biomass, and polyextreme ecosystems, i.e., with (hyper)arid and (hyper)oligotrophic conditions and high surface UV irradiation and evapotranspiration. These polyextreme conditions severely limit the presence of macrofauna and -flora and, particularly, the growth and productivity of plant species.
Topics & Concepts
Biogeochemical cycleBiologyNitrogen cycleCyclingAridEcosystemBiogeochemistryEcologyNitrogenGeomicrobiologyMicrobial ecologyEnvironmental chemistryBacteriaChemistryGeneticsArchaeologyEnvironmental biotechnologyQuantum mechanicsHistoryPhysicsSoil Carbon and Nitrogen DynamicsBiocrusts and Microbial EcologyPeatlands and Wetlands Ecology