Global Relative Importance of Denitrification and Anammox in Microbial Nitrogen Loss Across Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecosystems.

ABSTRACT: Denitrification and anaerobic ammonium oxidation (anammox) are the major microbial processes responsible for global nitrogen (N) loss. Yet, the relative contributions of denitrification and anammox to N loss across contrasting terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems worldwide remain unclear, hampering capacities to predict the human alterations in the global N cycle. Here, a global synthesis including 3240 observations from 199 published isotope pairing studies is conducted and finds that denitrification governs microbial N loss globally (79.8±0.4%). Significantly, anammox is more important in aquatic than terrestrial ecosystems worldwide and can contribute up to 43.2% of N loss in global seawater. Global maps for N loss associated with denitrification and anammox are further generated and show

SUBMITTER: He G 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11848586 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature