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Sorry.  I once had a high school chemistry teacher explain how snowfall fixes atmospheric nitrogen (lightning also works) but I could not explain it now if my life depended on it.

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by techno (reply@elegant-technology.com) on Fri Mar 21st, 2008 at 12:12:41 PM EST
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I believe it's mostly a trapping effect. There's a constant nitrogen exchange from soil to air in winter, when vegetation is not drawing on the soil's nitrogen resources; this is particularly true of fields left bare, ploughed before winter, etc. Snow blankets the ground and prevents the exchange taking place. Mulch will do the same thing.
by afew (afew(a in a circle)eurotrib_dot_com) on Fri Mar 21st, 2008 at 12:22:43 PM EST
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