Answer :
Final answer:
Nitrate (NO3-) tends to be leached from temperate soils due to the same negative charge repelling the soil particles. Nitrogen is a part of the nitrogen cycle where it undergoes various transformations, and nitrate is a key form that can be lost from the soil.
Explanation:
The form of nitrogen that tends to be leached from soil is Nitrate (NO3-). This occurs because in temperate soils, which usually have negatively-charged particles, the like-charged NO3- does not bind well to the soil and hence is easily washed away or leached by water. In contrast, Ammonium (NH4+), being positively charged, is more likely to adhere to the negatively charged soil particles and is less likely to be leached.
Nitrogen is a key component of the nitrogen cycle, which includes several transformations of nitrogenous compounds in the soil. Ammonia is released during the decomposition of nitrogen-containing organic compounds and is often quickly converted to nitrate by nitrifying bacteria. Furthermore, nitrate from soil can be transformed to gaseous nitrogen compounds such as NO, N2O, and N2 through the process of denitrification.
