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
Ammonium as a driving force of plant diversity and ecosystem functioning: observations based on 5 years' manipulation of N dose and form in a Mediterranean ecosystem.
Teresa Dias,Adelaide Clemente,Maria Amélia Martins-Loução,Lucy J. Sheppard,Roland Bobbink,Cristina Cruz +5 more
TL;DR: Data suggest that enhanced NHy availability affects the structure of the maquis, which may promote soil erosion and N leakage, whereas enhanced NOx availability leads to biomass accumulation which may increase the fire risk.
Journal ArticleDOI
Biomonitors of atmospheric nitrogen deposition: potential uses and limitations.
TL;DR: The case for the use of plant biomonitors, such as mosses, grasses, trees and epiphytes, to characterize atmospheric nitrogen pollution is made.
Journal ArticleDOI
Telling a different story: a global assessment of bryophyte invasions
TL;DR: This global bryophyte invasion state assessment provides the basis for future, more explicit considerations of this largely neglected taxonomic group in invasion ecology, and is suggested to be urgently needed as studying them might provide novel insights into patterns and processes of plant invasions in general.
Journal ArticleDOI
Influence of soil and microclimate on species composition and grass encroachment in heath succession
TL;DR: In this paper, the influence of several soil and microclimate parameters on species composition and vegetation characteristics in five successional stages in a coastal heathland on the island of Hiddensee, north-east Germany, where the encroachment of Carex arenaria has become a major problem.
Journal ArticleDOI
Long-term optimization of crop yield while concurrently improving soil quality
TL;DR: In this paper, a 9-year field experiment was conducted to examine agronomic and soil quality indices in a wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)/maize (Zea mays L.) double cropping system.
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