Which of the following are the sources of Nitrogen in an ecosystem?

1. Agricultural land

2. Fossil fuel

3. Livestock

4. Urban waste

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

The correct answer is 1, 2, 3, and 4.

Key Points

• Burning fossil fuels, application of nitrogen-based fertilizers, and other activities can dramatically increase the amount of biologically available nitrogen in an ecosystem.
• The main sources of nitrogen in the atmosphere therefore include:
  • Atmospheric precipitation,
  • Geological sources,
  • Agricultural land,
  • Livestock (ruminants like cows, sheep, goats etc) and poultry operations and
  • Urban waste,
  • Fossil fuels
• Hence, Option 4 is the correct answer.

Additional Information

• Fossil fuels
  • It is buried flammable geologic deposits of organic substances such as dead plants and animals that got deposited under several thousand feet of silt.
  • These deposits decayed with the passage of time and got converted to natural gas, coal and petroleum due to the extreme heat and pressure inside the earth’s crust.
  • They are also known as non-renewable sources of energy as it takes a very long time for them to replenish.
  • Fossil fuels are of the following types:
    • Coal
    • Petroleum
    • Natural gas