Nutrient Limitation
All organisms require certain nutrients in their surroundings (available to them) for survival. Depending upon the ecosystem, nitrogen is most likely the limiting nutrient, although phosphorus is the other primary limiting nutrient and these two elements interact chemically. Some organisms appear to be able to denitrify and remove phosphorus. The triple bond of N2 makes this a very stable compound; most organisms (i.e. plants) depend upon others to break this down to make it available for biochemical reactions. See Nitrification. Symbiotic relationships between Rhizobium species and legumes are well-documented.
Read more about this topic: Denitrification
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