What organism plays a role in constantly recycling carbon and role of microorganisms in recycling of carbon and nitrogen through air and soil?
Soil microorganisms, by actively participating in the decomposition and transformation of organic matter through diverse metabolic pathways, play a pivotal role in carbon cycling within soil systems and contribute to the stabilization of organic carbon, thereby influencing soil carbon storage and turnover. Plants constantly exchange carbon with the atmosphere. Plants absorb carbon dioxide during photosynthesis and much of this carbon dioxide is then stored in roots, permafrost, grasslands, and forests. Plants and the soil then release carbon dioxide when they decay. Decomposers are organisms that consume dead or decaying matter and recycle the nutrients back into the soil. Worms, bacteria, and fungi are examples of decomposers. When plants and animals die, their nutrient content is not wasted. Microorganisms and fungi break down wood and return carbon to the biogeochemical cycles. If these organisms become absent, carbon would accumulate in the wood, where it could not be recycled into the environment. The fixation of nitrogen is dependent on microorganisms mostly through biological nitrogen fixation. Microbes and fungi decompose dead animals, plants and matter. When they do so, they release carbon dioxide into the air due to respiration and contribute to the carbon cycle. In the soil and ocean there are certain microbes that have the ability to convert ammonia into nitrites. This contributes to the nitrogen cycle. Plants absorb carbon from the environment in photosynthesis and return it in respiration. Animals obtain their carbon by eating plants; they release carbon in respiration. Micrororganisms return carbon to the environment when they decompose dead plants and animals. Decomposers like bacteria and fungi decompose dead plants and animals and recycle chemical nutrients like carbon and nitrogen back into the soil, air and water.
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