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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Ecological impacts of atmospheric pollution and interactions with climate change in terrestrial ecosystems of the Mediterranean Basin: Current research and future directions
Raúl Ochoa-Hueso,Silvana Munzi,Rocío Alonso,María Arróniz-Crespo,Anna Avila,V. Bermejo,Roland Bobbink,Cristina Branquinho,Laura Concostrina-Zubiri,Cristina Cruz,Ricardo Cruz de Carvalho,Alessandra De Marco,Teresa Dias,David Elustondo,Susana Elvira,Belén Estébanez,Lina Fusaro,Giacomo Gerosa,Sheila Izquieta-Rojano,Mauro Lo Cascio,Riccardo Marzuoli,Paula Matos,Simone Mereu,José Merino,Lourdes Morillas,Alice Nunes,Elena Paoletti,Luca Paoli,Pedro Pinho,Isabel Rogers,Arthur Santos,Pierre Sicard,Carly J. Stevens,Mark R. Theobald +33 more
TL;DR: A robust deposition monitoring network in conjunction with modelling estimates is crucial, possibly including a set of common biomonitors (ideally cryptogams, an important component of the Mediterranean vegetation), to help refine pollutant deposition maps.
Journal ArticleDOI
Forest ecosystems of temperate climatic regions: from ancient use to climate change.
TL;DR: All current and future perturbations of temperate forests, including timber harvesting, excess nitrogen deposition, altered species' phenologies, and increasing frequency of drought and fire, must be viewed through the lens of climate change.
Journal ArticleDOI
Acidification of Earth: An assessment across mechanisms and scales
Karen C. Rice,Janet S. Herman +1 more
TL;DR: In this paper, anthropogenic activities that cause acidification of Earth's air, waters, and soils are examined by elucidating the underlying biogeochemical reactions as well as assessing the magnitude of the effects.
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A review and application of the evidence for nitrogen impacts on ecosystem services
Laurence Jones,Allan Provins,Marika M. Holland,Gina Mills,Felicity Hayes,Bridget A. Emmett,Jane Hall,Lucy J. Sheppard,Ron Smith,Mark A. Sutton,Kevin Hicks,Mike Ashmore,Roy Haines-Young,L. Harper-Simmonds +13 more
TL;DR: In this article, the authors provide a synthesis of the evidence supporting impacts of atmospheric reactive nitrogen (N) deposition on ecosystem services, and estimate the marginal economic value of the decline in N deposition from 1987-2005.
Journal ArticleDOI
Over a century of data reveal more than 80% decline in butterflies in the Netherlands
Arco J. van Strien,Chris van Swaay,Willy T.F.H. van Strien-van Liempt,Martin J. M. Poot,Michiel F. WallisDeVries,Michiel F. WallisDeVries +5 more
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors analysed historical butterfly records from 1890 to 2017 to quantitatively estimate the overall long-term change in occurrence of butterfly species in the Netherlands, finding that between 1890 and 2017, the number of occupied 5'km'×'5'km sites decreased by 67%.
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