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Full-Text Articles in Microbiology
Diversity Of Free-Living Nitrogen Fixing Bacteria In The Badlands Of South Dakota, Bibha Dahal
Diversity Of Free-Living Nitrogen Fixing Bacteria In The Badlands Of South Dakota, Bibha Dahal
Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Biological Nitrogen Fixation is carried out by a highly diverse group of members of the domains Bacteria and Archaea which express a nitrogenase enzyme complex and are termed diazotrophs. The best known diazotrophs form symbiotic associations with plants, but free-living nitrogen fixing bacteria also contribute a substantial amount of nitrogen to ecosystems, including arid lands. The aim of this study was to isolate free-living diazotrophs from the soil crusts of sod tables of South Dakota Badlands. Samples were obtained from sod tables and the surrounding base (matrix) in spring and fall of 2014. A culture dependent approach was used to …