1.4: Nutrient Cycling
Nutrient cycling is yet another critical service provided by biodiversity -- particularly by microorganisms. Fungi and other microorganisms in soil help break down dead plants and animals, eventually converting this organic matter into nutrients that enrich the soil (Pimentel et al. 1995).
Nitrogen is essential for plant growth, and an insufficient quantity of it limits plant production in both natural and agricultural ecosystems. While nitrogen is abundant in the atmosphere, only a few organisms (commonly known as nitrogen-fixing bacteria) can use it in this form. Nitrogen-fixing bacteria extract nitrogen from the air, and transform it into ammonia, then other bacteria further break down this ammonia into nitrogenous compounds that can be absorbed and used by most plants. In addition to their role in decomposition and hence nutrient cycling, microorganisms also help detoxify waste, changing waste products into forms less harmful to humans.