Cattle grazing drives nitrogen and carbon cycling in a temperate salt marsh

► Saltmarsh grazing increased potential N mineralization, but not in situ rates. ► Denitrification was limited by NO3− availability in grazed marsh. ► Grazing increased partitioning of C into microbial biomass. ► Turnover of microbial biomass was slowed down by grazing. ► Grazing led to longer turnover times for C from leaf litter and root exudates.