gen-explain-the-nitrogen-cycle-in-soil-as-you-would-to-a-capable-a623

Explain the nitrogen cycle in soil as you would to a capable student, in 3-4 sentences.

The nitrogen cycle in soil involves the transformation of nitrogen between different chemical forms that plants and microbes can use. Bacteria convert atmospheric nitrogen (N₂) into ammonia through nitrogen fixation, then other bacteria transform it into nitrites and nitrates through nitrification—these are the forms plants absorb through their roots. When plants and animals die, decomposers break down organic nitrogen back into ammonia (ammonification), and finally, denitrifying bacteria can convert nitrates back into N₂ gas, releasing it to the atmosphere and completing the cycle. This continuous cycling is essential because while nitrogen is abundant in the atmosphere, most organisms can't use it directly and depend on these microbial transformations.