Global assessment of nitrogen deposition effects on terrestrial plant diversity: a synthesis.
Roland Bobbink,Kevin Hicks,James N. Galloway,Till Spranger,Rob Alkemade,Mike Ashmore,Mercedes M. C. Bustamante,Steve Cinderby,Eric A. Davidson,Frank Dentener,Bridget A. Emmett,Jan Willem Erisman,Mark E. Fenn,Frank S. Gilliam,Annika Nordin,Linda H. Pardo,W. de Vries +16 more
TLDR
Ecosystems thought of as not N limited, such as tropical and subtropical systems, may be more vulnerable in the regeneration phase, in situations where heterogeneity in N availability is reduced by atmospheric N deposition, on sandy soils, or in montane areas.Abstract:
Atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition is a recognized threat to plant diversity in temperate and northern parts of Europe and North America. This paper assesses evidence from field experiments for N deposition effects and thresholds for terrestrial plant diversity protection across a latitudinal range of main categories of ecosystems, from arctic and boreal systems to tropical forests. Current thinking on the mechanisms of N deposition effects on plant diversity, the global distribution of G200 ecoregions, and current and future (2030) estimates of atmospheric N-deposition rates are then used to identify the risks to plant diversity in all major ecosystem types now and in the future. This synthesis paper clearly shows that N accumulation is the main driver of changes to species composition across the whole range of different ecosystem types by driving the competitive interactions that lead to composition change and/or making conditions unfavorable for some species. Other effects such as direct toxicity of nitrogen gases and aerosols, long-term negative effects of increased ammonium and ammonia availability, soil-mediated effects of acidification, and secondary stress and disturbance are more ecosystem- and site-specific and often play a supporting role. N deposition effects in mediterranean ecosystems have now been identified, leading to a first estimate of an effect threshold. Importantly, ecosystems thought of as not N limited, such as tropical and subtropical systems, may be more vulnerable in the regeneration phase, in situations where heterogeneity in N availability is reduced by atmospheric N deposition, on sandy soils, or in montane areas. Critical loads are effect thresholds for N deposition, and the critical load concept has helped European governments make progress toward reducing N loads on sensitive ecosystems. More needs to be done in Europe and North America, especially for the more sensitive ecosystem types, including several ecosystems of high conservation importance. The results of this assessment show that the vulnerable regions outside Europe and North America which have not received enough attention are ecoregions in eastern and southern Asia (China, India), an important part of the mediterranean ecoregion (California, southern Europe), and in the coming decades several subtropical and tropical parts of Latin America and Africa. Reductions in plant diversity by increased atmospheric N deposition may be more widespread than first thought, and more targeted studies are required in low background areas, especially in the G200 ecoregions.read more
Citations
More filters
Journal ArticleDOI
Photosynthesis and growth responses of Fraxinus mandshurica Rupr. seedlings to a gradient of simulated nitrogen deposition
TL;DR: In this article, a 4-year study was conducted to investigate growth and photosynthetic responses of F. mandshurica seedlings to a large gradient of simulated N deposition (0, 20, 40, 60, 80, 100, and 120 kg N−1 year−1).
Journal ArticleDOI
Potential transition in the effects of atmospheric nitrogen deposition in China.
TL;DR: This work reviews existing literature to consider possible responses of carbon (C) sequestration, biodiversity and species composition, soil acidification, and greenhouse emissions in ecosystems responding to recent patterns of N deposition.
Journal ArticleDOI
Changes in plant diversity and its relationship with productivity in response to nitrogen addition, warming and increased rainfall
Posted ContentDOI
The effects of drought and nutrient addition on soil organisms vary across taxonomic groups, but are constant across seasons
Julia Siebert,Marie Suennemann,Harald Auge,Sigrid Berger,Simone Cesarz,Marcel Ciobanu,Nico Eisenhauer +6 more
TL;DR: Drought had detrimental effects on soil invertebrate feeding activity and simplified nematode community structure, whereas soil microbial activity and biomass were unaffected, and microbial biomass increased in response to fertilization, whereas invertebrates feeding activity substantially declined.
Journal ArticleDOI
Nitrogen deposition drives loss of moss cover in alpine moss–sedge heath via lowered C : N ratio and accelerated decomposition
Andrea J. Britton,Ruth J. Mitchell,J. M. Fisher,David Riach,Andy F. S. Taylor,Andy F. S. Taylor +5 more
TL;DR: It is concluded that decomposition processes in Racomitrium heath are very sensitive to N deposition and provide a mechanism by which N deposition drives depletion of the bryophyte mat.
References
More filters
Journal ArticleDOI
Global biodiversity scenarios for the year 2100.
Osvaldo E. Sala,F. S. Chapin,Juan J. Armesto,Eric L. Berlow,Janine Bloomfield,Rodolfo Dirzo,E Huber-Sanwald,Laura Foster Huenneke,Robert B. Jackson,Ann P. Kinzig,Rik Leemans,David M. Lodge,Harold A. Mooney,Martín Oesterheld,N L Poff,Martin T. Sykes,Brian Walker,Marilyn D. Walker,Diana H. Wall +18 more
TL;DR: This study identified a ranking of the importance of drivers of change, aranking of the biomes with respect to expected changes, and the major sources of uncertainties in projections of future biodiversity change.
Journal ArticleDOI
Human alteration of the global nitrogen cycle: sources and consequences
Peter M. Vitousek,John D. Aber,Robert W. Howarth,Gene E. Likens,Pamela A. Matson,David W. Schindler,William H. Schlesinger,David Tilman +7 more
TL;DR: In this article, a review of available scientific evidence shows that human alterations of the nitrogen cycle have approximately doubled the rate of nitrogen input into the terrestrial nitrogen cycle, with these rates still increasing; increased concentrations of the potent greenhouse gas N 2O globally, and increased concentration of other oxides of nitrogen that drive the formation of photochemical smog over large regions of Earth.
Journal ArticleDOI
Transformation of the Nitrogen Cycle: Recent Trends, Questions, and Potential Solutions
James N. Galloway,Alan R. Townsend,Jan Willem Erisman,Mateete A. Bekunda,Zucong Cai,J. R. Freney,Luiz Antonio Martinelli,Sybil P. Seitzinger,Mark A. Sutton +8 more
TL;DR: Optimizing the need for a key human resource while minimizing its negative consequences requires an integrated interdisciplinary approach and the development of strategies to decrease nitrogen-containing waste.
Journal ArticleDOI
Nitrogen cycles: past, present, and future
James N. Galloway,Frank Dentener,Douglas G. Capone,Elizabeth W. Boyer,Robert W. Howarth,Sybil P. Seitzinger,G. P. Asner,Cory C. Cleveland,P. A. Green,Elisabeth A. Holland,David M. Karl,Anthony F. Michaels,John H. Porter,Alan R. Townsend,Charles J. Vörösmarty +14 more
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors compared the natural and anthropogenic controls on the conversion of unreactive N2 to more reactive forms of nitrogen (Nr) and found that human activities increasingly dominate the N budget at the global and at most regional scales, and the terrestrial and open ocean N budgets are essentially dis-connected.
Book
Alpine plant life
TL;DR: In this article, a taxonomic index (genera) of alpine plants is presented, with a brief review of water relations and water relations of alpin plants in the alpine life zone.
Related Papers (5)
Global biodiversity scenarios for the year 2100.
Osvaldo E. Sala,F. S. Chapin,Juan J. Armesto,Eric L. Berlow,Janine Bloomfield,Rodolfo Dirzo,E Huber-Sanwald,Laura Foster Huenneke,Robert B. Jackson,Ann P. Kinzig,Rik Leemans,David M. Lodge,Harold A. Mooney,Martín Oesterheld,N L Poff,Martin T. Sykes,Brian Walker,Marilyn D. Walker,Diana H. Wall +18 more