Managing Soil Biota-Mediated Decomposition and Nutrient Mineralization in Sustainable Agroecosystems

Figure 3

Following the absorption of organic N compounds such as amino acids and amino sugars through the cell membrane, intracellular enzymes are responsible for N mineralization, which yields as the end product. The may be retained in the microbial cell for protein synthesis and other metabolic processes or released from the cell into soil pore water where it can undergo other transformations (e.g., immobilization, plant uptake, and fixation).