Biology (11th Edition)

Published by McGraw-Hill Education
ISBN 10: 1259188132
ISBN 13: 978-1-25918-813-8

Chapter 28 - Prokaryotes - Review Questions - Synthesize - Page 564: 4

Answer

Ozone loss and more UV exposure would decrease numbers of nitrogen-fixing bacteria, in turn reducing availability of N in the environment. This would limit the growth of plants by limiting the amount of N-containing molecules, such as proteins, which they could make, in turn limiting animal life.

Work Step by Step

Consider what would be changed by ozone loss (UV exposure, and this nitrogen fixation), and the effects of this in ecosystems. As a cautionary note, given that land plants usually fix nitrogen underground, much of the fixation might be safe from UV as being shielded by the soil.
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