Nitrogen represents an essential nutrient element in the soil. However, it is present in limited quantities. But there are some types of plants, known as "nitrogen-fixing plants," which can enhance the nitrogen supply in the soil through a symbiotic relationship with nitrogen-fixing diazotrophic bacteria from the atmosphere.

Thus, these plants can support the soil with more nitrogen, provide space for the activity of other organisms, and support wildlife. Additionally, nitrogen-fixing plants are characterized by strong roots, which can strengthen the soil and improve its structure.

On the other hand, nitrogen is one of the essential elements for enhancing soil fertility, and its availability reduces the need for chemical fertilizers, contributing to the sustainability of the farming process. This, in turn, leads to many benefits for environmental health.

Human activities and climate change, which have raised global average temperatures to about 1.1 degrees Celsius compared to the pre-industrial era, threaten this natural system, which provides many services to the ecosystem.

On October 18, 2024, an international research group published their findings in the journal "Science Advances" after deciding to investigate the impact of human activities like fertilizer use and pollution on nitrogen-fixing plants.

Researchers used vegetation resurvey methods for the forest floor ecosystems in the temperate forests of the United States and Europe over several decades. They discovered that over the past decades, distinct strains of nitrogen-fixing plants have disappeared. This is primarily due to human activities that have reduced the diversity of nitrogen-fixing plants and affected their role in natural nitrogen fixation.

Researchers believe that preserving these plants is an absolute necessity, especially since they form an essential part of a natural process, namely the natural fixation of nitrogen in the soil, which maintains the diversity of various communities in the soil, including plants and other beneficial living organisms.

Neglecting these plants could lead to dire consequences for entire ecosystems, especially since they play a pivotal role in providing an essential nutrient for living organisms.