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Two schematics show pathways of nitrogen loss in a non-desert and desert systems.
Nitrogen loss in a non-desert system happens primarily through biological processes and water leaching. In a desert, in the summer, however, the soil layer heats up so much that microorganisms are not active enough to release nitrogen; neither is there enough water to cause significant leaching. Researchers have found that the heat itself causes large reactive nitrogen species evaporation.
Credit: Zina Deretsky, National Science Foundation
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Related story: Climate Change, Nitrogen Loss Threaten Plant Life in Arid Desert Soils