Environmental science article review sample

Article Documentation:

Stephen C. Biological nitrogen fixation. 2011. Retrieved from; http://www. nature. com/scitable/knowledge/library/biological-nitrogen-fixation-23570419

Briefly, State the Main Idea of this Article.

Biological nitrogen fixation is an article written by Stephen C. Wagner showing a relation between living and non ling organisms. Generally, the article demonstrates how plants, animals and non living organisms interact with one another facilitating a better ecosystem. In the article, legumes are the plants being referred to while non living things being addressed in the article is nitrogen. Prokaryotes such as Azotobacter are involved in the conversion of nitrogen into the required form.

What evidence does the author give to support the main idea? List three facts.

The main message delivered by the author is that plants, animals and the non living things are all equally important in ensuring a good ecosystem. In this case, the plants need nitrogen to enable them carry out the process of photosynthesis. It is through the prokaryotes that the plants are able to convert nitrogen into the usable form. On the other hand, the prokaryotes need sugars to enable them survive. These sugars are usually obtained from the plants. Therefore without nitrogen, the plants cannot make food; hence the prokaryotes would have no food. Without prokaryotes, the plants would not be able to make food. Without plants, the prokaryotes would have no food. This shows that all these units of ecosystem are equally important.

What information or ideas discussed in this article are also discussed in your textbook or other readings that you have done? Cite the other reading source, or the chapters and Generally, the article has information that is also found in our text book specifically on nitrogen cycle. The author has however used enough points to support the argument posed at the beginning of the article.

List any examples of bias, faulty reasoning, or information that you found in the article
which is contrary to other sources. Think critically.

The author has not explained how nitrogen depends on the other ecosystem considering that all unites of the ecosystem depend on one another as the author argues. Therefore the article has failed in explaining how nitrogen needs the other units.

List at least three new relevant terms or new concepts presented in the article, and write
a short definition of each.

Ecosystem- this refers to the relationship between organisms and their environment that is usually complex.

Prokaryotes- organisms that are mostly bacteria. They are all the organisms that belong to kingdom Monera.
Azotobactor- a bacterium that is usually rod shaped.