Aim Ammonia‐oxidizing archaea (AOA) and bacteria (AOB) are the primary agents for nitrification, converting ammonia (NH 4 + ) into nitrate (NO 3 − ) and modulating plant nitrogen (N) utilization and terrestrial N retention. However, there is still lack of a unifying framework describing the patterns of global AOA and AOB distribution. In particular, biotic interactions are rarely integrated into any of the conceptual models. L...