Food production is becoming less efficient at using nitrogen fertilizer, according to a review of global values. Excess nitrogen damages the environment and the climate.
nitrogen
Posted inResearch Spotlights
Roadside Ditches Are Effective at Nitrogen Removal
Researchers compared the nitrogen removal potential by microbes in ditches that drained forested, urban, and agricultural lands and discovered that roadside ditches are important areas for removing nutrients.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
‘Oumuamua May Be an Icy Fragment of a Pluto-Like Exoplanet
Researchers favor nitrogen ice as the most likely material for the mysterious interstellar object’s composition.
Posted inResearch Spotlights
A Well-Balanced Ecosystem Uses Water Most Efficiently
Excess of a single nutrient, such as nitrogen, may boost plant productivity, but the imbalance leads to less efficient water use as plants scramble for the nutrients they lack.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Tracking Excess Nitrogen with Freshwater Mussels
Mussel shell periostracum and carbonate bound organic matter document seasonal variability in the isotopic composition of riverine suspended particulate organic matter.
Posted inNews
Turf’s Dirty Little Secret
Greenhouse gas emissions from sports fields may be scoring points for climate change.
Posted inNews
Half of Earth’s Nitrogen May Be Homegrown
A new analysis of iron meteorites reveals a distinct isotopic signature that suggests nitrogen was present around early Earth.
Posted inEditors' Highlights
Deciphering Reactive Nitrogen Emissions from Wildfire Smoke
In-situ data gathered from an aircraft flying over 23 western US wildfires in 2018 reveal the importance of reduced nitrogen, shedding insights on ozone and aerosol formation from wildfires.
Posted inNews
The Legacy of Nitrogen Pollution
Researchers track decades of nitrogen inputs and uptake across the United States, highlighting the need for policy to address the legacy effects of this essential nutrient and pollutant.