English dictionary. 2014.
(the) nitrogen cycle — the nitrogen cycle UK US noun biology the series of processes by which nitrogen in the atmosphere is changed into nitrogen compounds in soil from and taken in by plants. These compounds spread into the atmosphere when the plants decay or are… … Useful english dictionary
Human impacts on the nitrogen cycle — Agricultural and industrial nitrogen (N) inputs to the environment currently exceed inputs from natural N fixation (Galloway 2003). As a consequence of anthropogenic inputs, the global nitrogen cycle (Fig. 1) has been significantly altered over… … Wikipedia
Nitrogen cycle — Schematic representation of the flow of nitrogen through the environment. The importance of bacteria in the cycle is immediately recognized as being a key element in the cycle, providing different forms of nitrogen compounds assimilable by higher … Wikipedia
nitrogen cycle — /ˈnaɪtrədʒən saɪkəl/ (say nuytruhjuhn suykuhl) noun the continuous circulation of nitrogen and nitrogen compounds in nature between the atmosphere, the soil, and the various organisms to which nitrogen is essential. The nitrogen cycle describes… …
nitrogen cycle — n a continuous series of natural processes by which nitrogen passes through successive stations in air, soil, and organisms and which principally involves nitrogen fixation, nitrification, decay, and denitrification * * * the steps by which… … Medical dictionary
nitrogen cycle — n. the cycle of natural processes through which atmospheric nitrogen is converted by nitrogen fixation and nitrification into compounds used by plants and animals in the formation of proteins and is eventually returned by decay and… … English World dictionary
nitrogen cycle — noun the circulation of nitrogen; nitrates from the soil are absorbed by plants which are eaten by animals that die and decay returning the nitrogen back to the soil • Hypernyms: ↑organic process, ↑biological process * * * ˈnitrogen cycle 7… … Useful english dictionary
nitrogen cycle — series of flows in an ecosystem which move nitrogen between various stores and allow it to perform functions essential for life. At its simplest level, nitrogen in the form of nitrates is taken in by plant roots and built into proteins which… … Geography glossary
nitrogen cycle — the continuous sequence of events by which atmospheric nitrogen and nitrogenous compounds in the soil are converted, as by nitrification and nitrogen fixation, into substances that can be utilized by green plants, the substances returning to the… … Universalium
nitrogen cycle — noun The natural circulation of nitrogen, in which atmospheric nitrogen is converted to nitrogen oxides by lightning and deposited in the soil by rain where it is assimilated by plants and either eaten by animals (and returned as faeces) or… … Wiktionary
