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
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Rice rhizodeposits affect organic matter priming in paddy soil: The role of N fertilization and plant growth for enzyme activities, CO 2 and CH 4 emissions
Zhenke Zhu,Tida Ge,Shoulong Liu,Yajun Hu,Rongzhong Ye,Mouliang Xiao,Chengli Tong,Yakov Kuzyakov,Jinshui Wu +8 more
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigated the effect of rhizosphere priming on CO2 and CH4 emissions and their dependence from N fertilization in a 13CO2 continuous labelling experiment.
Journal ArticleDOI
Soil phosphorus constrains biodiversity across European grasslands
Tobias Ceulemans,Carly J. Stevens,Luc Duchateau,Hans Jacquemyn,David J. G. Gowing,Roel Merckx,Hilary Wallace,Nils van Rooijen,Thomas van Goethem,Roland Bobbink,Edu Dorland,Cassandre Gaudnik,Didier Alard,Emmanuel Corcket,Serge Muller,Nancy B. Dise,Cecilia Dupré,Martin Diekmann,Olivier Honnay +18 more
TL;DR: It is demonstrated that, independent of the level of atmospheric nitrogen deposition and soil acidity, plant species richness was consistently negatively related to soil phosphorus, and thresholds in soil phosphorus above which biodiversity appears to remain at a constant low level are identified.
Journal ArticleDOI
Estimating impacts of lichens and bryophytes on global biogeochemical cycles
TL;DR: In this paper, the impacts of lichens and bryophytes on biogeochemical cycles at the global scale were quantified in the form of potential rates, which means that the amount of nitrogen and phosphorus needed by the organisms to build up biomass, also accounting for resorption and leaching of nutrients.
Journal ArticleDOI
Vegetation exerts a greater control on litter decomposition than climate warming in peatlands
Susan E. Ward,Kate H. Orwin,Kate H. Orwin,Nick Ostle,Maria J. I. Briones,Bruce C. Thomson,Robert I. Griffiths,Simon Oakley,Helen Quirk,Richard D. Bardgett,Richard D. Bardgett +10 more
TL;DR: It is demonstrated that, in addition to litter quality, changes in vegetation composition play a significant role in regulating short-term litter decomposition and belowground communities in peatland, and that these impacts can be greater than moderate warming effects.
Journal ArticleDOI
Plant species loss from European semi-natural grasslands following nutrient enrichment – is it nitrogen or is it phosphorus?
TL;DR: P enrichment can present a greater threat to biodiversity than N enrichment in at least some terrestrial ecosystems, however, as N- and P-driven species loss appeared independent, the results suggest that simultaneously reducing N and P inputs is a prerequisite for maintaining maximum plant diversity.
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