The Ecology of Nitrogen Fixation

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Plant growth in temperate ecosystems is limited by nitrogen availability. Indeed, the success of modern agriculture is due primarily to the invention of nitrogen fertilizers. However, the use of nitrogen fertilizer requires intensive energy inputs and can result in eutrophication of the environment. Nitrogen can also be supplied to ecosystems by nitrogen fixing microbes. The symbiotic interaction between plants and nitrogen fixing bacteria frees plants from the limitations of soil nitrogen availability. The development of new nitrogen fixing symbioses could free us from our reliance on nitrogen fertilizer. However, this long sought goal of plant breeders has yet to be realized. Understanding the ecology of existing nitrogen fixing organisms may help us not only to understand their roles in natural systems, but also guide us in developing new nitrogen fixing systems and applications for them.