Denitrification - Nutrient Cycles

Nitrates are readily leached from the soil and also lost through denitrification the process by which molecular or gaseous nitrogen (N₂) as well as nitrous oxide (NO) 'and nitric oxide (N₂O) and nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) are formed from NO^-₃ by bacteria (such as pseudomonas) and fungi. They use the nitrate as a source of oxygen in the presence of glucose and phosphate. Denitrifing bacteria prefer anaerobic or partially aerobic habitats such as estuaries, bogs, lake bottoms and water-logged soils. The bacteria reduce the nitrates to nitrites which are finally converted to free nitrogen.