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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Sources and processes contributing to nitrogen deposition: an adjoint model analysis applied to biodiversity hotspots worldwide.
TL;DR: Application of the adjoint sensitivities to the representative concentration pathways (RCPs) scenarios for 2010-2050 indicates that future decreases in Nr deposition due to NOx emission controls will be offset by concurrent increases in ammonia emissions from agriculture.
Journal ArticleDOI
Urea fertilization decreases soil bacterial diversity, but improves microbial biomass, respiration, and N-cycling potential in a semiarid grassland
TL;DR: In this paper, changes in plant diversity and aboveground biomass, soil chemical properties, microbial biomass and respiration, microbial composition, and microbial N-cycling potential (represented by the abundance of genes involved in N reaction) were studied after 3-year of urea fertilization (0, 25, 50, and 100 kg N 1 year−1) in a semiarid grassland in China.
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A framework for mission-oriented innovation policy: Alternative pathways through the problem–solution space
TL;DR: An analytical decomposition of societal problems and innovative solutions based on three dimensions of wickedness, which argues that both problems and solutions can be divergent or convergent, and suggests a process-oriented view on MIP.
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Changes in composition, ecology and structure of high-mountain vegetation: a re-visitation study over 42 years.
Alberto Evangelista,Ludovico Frate,Maria Laura Carranza,Fabio Attorre,G. Pelino,Angela Stanisci +5 more
TL;DR: Changes in floristic composition, along with a significant increase in thermophilic and nutrient-demanding species are observed, likely attributable to the combined effect of higher temperatures and the increase in soil nutrients triggered by global change.
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Current and future ozone risks to global terrestrial biodiversity and ecosystem processes
Jürg Fuhrer,Maria Val Martin,Gina Mills,Colette L. Heald,Harry Harmens,Felicity Hayes,Katrina Sharps,Jürgen Bender,Mike Ashmore +8 more
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors used the Community Earth System Model (CESM) to simulate ozone (O3) exposure in the terrestrial ecoregions of the world.
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