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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Nitrogen deposition alters plant-fungal relationships: linking belowground dynamics to aboveground vegetation change.
Sarah L. Dean,Emily C. Farrer,D. Lee Taylor,D. Lee Taylor,Andrea Porras-Alfaro,Andrea Porras-Alfaro,Katharine N. Suding,Robert L. Sinsabaugh +7 more
TL;DR: The results highlight the potential importance of belowground microbial dynamics in plant responses to N deposition, and suggest a flexible microbial community aids host adaptation to nutrient enrichment.
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Reducing global air pollution: the scope for further policy interventions
Markus Amann,Gregor Kiesewetter,Wolfgang Schöpp,Zbigniew Klimont,Wilfried Winiwarter,Wilfried Winiwarter,Janusz Cofala,Peter Rafaj,Lena Höglund-Isaksson,Adriana Gomez-Sabriana,Chris Heyes,Pallav Purohit,Jens Borken-Kleefeld,Fabian Wagner,Robert Sander,Hilde Fagerli,Agnes Nyiri,Laura Cozzi,Claudia Pavarini +18 more
TL;DR: Improved air quality would avoid a large share of the current 3–9 million cases of premature deaths annually and the measures that deliver clean air would also significantly reduce emissions of greenhouse gases and contribute to multiple UN sustainable development goals.
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The Ridgefield Multiple Ecosystem Services Experiment: Can restoration of former agricultural land achieve multiple outcomes?
Michael P. Perring,Rachel J. Standish,Kristin B. Hulvey,Lori Lach,Tim K. Morald,Rebecca Parsons,Raphael K. Didham,Raphael K. Didham,Richard J. Hobbs +8 more
TL;DR: The Ridgefield Multiple Ecosystem Services Experiment as mentioned in this paper is a long-term investigation into trade-offs that might prevent the simultaneous provision of high levels of multiple services in the agricultural landscape of south-western Australia.
Journal ArticleDOI
Nitrogen deposition decreases acid buffering capacity of alpine soils in the southern Rocky Mountains
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors used an existing N addition experiment to empirically estimate the thresholds for the loss of acid buffering capacity and nutrient base cations, decreases in pH, as well as increases in toxic metals in response to N deposition in alpine soils of Niwot Ridge in the southern Rocky Mountains.
Journal ArticleDOI
Mycorrhizal associations of dominant trees influence nitrate leaching responses to N deposition
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors used a multi-factor meta-analysis to simultaneously estimate the relative importance of several environmental, experimental, and anthropogenic variables on nitrate (NO3−) leaching in response to experimental N addition.
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Alpine plant life
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