Dear Zhong-Jun

Thank you again for submitting the above manuscript to Biogeosciences. It has been expertly refereed by four anonymous referees who all found merit in your study. For final publication in Biogeosciences, the referees suggested that your manuscript should be accepted subject to some revisions.

In your very detailed response letter you have commented on their concerns in the Interactive Discussion. In general, you followed the suggestions of the referees.

Thus, the revised version of your manuscript could be published in Biogeosciences without further delay. However, I have to ask you to make two little changes:

Line 53: I think you wanted to say: the interactions are more complicated than previously appreciated. Please add the word "more" if I was correct.

Line 545: It should read: which posseses nitrogenase and are capable of nitrogen fixing. Please add the word "are".

Your interest in publishing in Biogeosciences is very much appreciated.

Sincerely,

Kirsten Küsel

(Editor)