Controls Regulating Biological Nitrogen Fixation in Longleaf Pine Ecosystems: the role of Fire and Stand Development

Fire is critical for maintaining the structure and diversity of longleaf pine ecosystems, but it also removes a substantial amount of nitrogen, which is essential for plant growth. If longleaf pine depends on frequent fire, how is nitrogen replaced The answer lies in the soil, where a select group of organisms carries out biological nitrogen fixation, the process where atmospheric nitrogen gas is converted to a usable form. Longleaf pine ecosystems hold a diverse group of these nitrogen-fixers including bacteria in leaf litter, biological soils crusts and herbaceous legumes that form a symbiotic relationship with soil bacteria.