Microbial communities are needed to accurately predict future N mineralization dynamics

N mineralization is modeled as a function of the quality and quantity of resource inputs. However, just as the number of miles we can drive on our gas tank also depends on engine properties, so, too, is N mineralization dependent on microbial decomposers, the engine driving soil biogeochemical processes. Decomposer community enzyme induction drives proteolysis, the exocellular first step in N mineralization. Yet, cellular carbon use efficiency and stoichiometry are internal processes driving ammonification. Chronic and abrupt environmental changes enhance their decoupling and hence unpredictability, creating a need to revisit and better understand the basic biological processes underpinning N mineralization.