Nostoc species are useful to increase soil fertility. They fix atmospheric nitrogen. The heterocysts contain nitrogenase enzyme that helps for nitrogen fixation. So they are called biofertilizers.
The balls of Nos toe commune a reused as food by Chinese and South Americans. Nostoc species are oxygenic like other blue-green algae. So O2 released during photo. synthesis.contributing to the O2 content of the atmosphere.