Dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium is similar to the process of denitrification, though NO is reduced farther to NH rather than to N, transferring eight electrons. Both denitrifiers and nitrate ammonifiers are competing for NO in the environment. Despite the redox potential of dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonium being lower than denitrification and producing less Gibbs free energy, energy yield of denitrification may not be efficiently conserved in its series of enzymatic reactions and nitrate ammonifiers may achieve higher growth rates and outcompete denitrifiers. This is may be especially pronounced when NO is limiting compared to organic carbon, as organic carbon is oxidised more efficiently per NO (as each molecule NO is reduced farther). The balance of denitrification and DNRA is important to the nitrogen cycle of an environment as both use NO but, unlike denitrification, which produces gaseous, non-bioavailable N (a sink of nitrogen), DNRA produces bioavailable, soluble NH.