An assessment of nitrogen fixation as a source of nitrogen to the North Atlantic Ocean
The role of nitrogen fixation in the nitrogen cycle of the North Atlantic basin was re-evaluated because recent estimates had indicated a far higher rate than previous reports. Examination of the available data on nitrogen fixation rates and abundance of Trichodesmium, the major nitrogen fixing orga...
| Published in: | Biogeochemistry |
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| Main Authors: | , |
| Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
1996
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| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://pure.uhi.ac.uk/en/publications/f1f48068-5451-4015-8cb8-e5ec21b9beb2 https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02179830 http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0030301979&partnerID=8YFLogxK http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=0030301979&partnerID=8YFLogxK |
| Summary: | The role of nitrogen fixation in the nitrogen cycle of the North Atlantic basin was re-evaluated because recent estimates had indicated a far higher rate than previous reports. Examination of the available data on nitrogen fixation rates and abundance of Trichodesmium, the major nitrogen fixing organism, leads to the conclusion that rates might be as high as 1.09 x 10 12 mol N yr -1 . Several geochemical arguments are reviewed that each require a large nitrogen source that is consistent with nitrogen fixation, but the current data, although limited, do not support a sufficiently high rate. However, recent measurements of the fixation rates per colony are higher than the historical average, suggesting that improved methodology may require a re-evaluation through further measurements. The paucity of temporally resolved data on both rates and abundance for the major areal extent of the tropical Atlantic, where aeolian inputs of iron may foster high fixation rates, represents another major gap. |
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