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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Can on-site management mitigate nitrogen deposition impacts in non-wooded habitats?
Laurence Jones,Carly J. Stevens,Edwin C. Rowe,Richard J. Payne,Simon J.M. Caporn,Chris D. Evans,Chris Field,Sarah Dale +7 more
TL;DR: In this article, a review of management activities such as grazing, cutting, burning, hydrological management and soil disturbance measures can mitigate the negative impacts of nitrogen deposition across a range of temperate habitats (acid, calcareous and neutral grasslands, sand dunes and other coastal habitats, heathlands, bogs and fens).
Journal ArticleDOI
Interactive effects of nitrogen deposition and drought-stress on plant-soil feedbacks of Artemisia californica seedlings
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors investigated how N availability, N-impacted soil communities and drought affect feedback in seedlings of a drought-deciduous mycorrhizal shrub, Artemisia californica.
Journal ArticleDOI
Using Epiphytic Lichens to Monitor Nitrogen Deposition Near Natural Gas Drilling Operations in the Wind River Range, WY, USA
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors measured annual throughfall (TF) N deposition and lichen thalli N concentrations under forest canopies in four different drainages of the Wind River Range (WRR) including the Class I Bridger Wilderness.
Journal ArticleDOI
Impact of nitrogen addition on plant community in a semi-arid temperate steppe in China
TL;DR: In this article, a field experiment was conducted at Duolun, Inner Mongolia, China, to investigate the effects of N addition on a temperate steppe ecosystem, where six N levels (0, 3, 6, 12, 24, and 48 g N/(m⋅a)) were added as three applications per year from 2005 to 2010.
Journal ArticleDOI
A database of atmospheric nitrogen concentration and deposition from the nationwide monitoring network in China
Wen Xu,Lin Zhang,Xuejun Liu +2 more
TL;DR: This unique database is available inter alia to advance understanding of the spatial patterns of inorganic N concentrations and deposition in China and its associated effects, constrain primary Nr (e.g., NH3, NOx) emission inventories, and validate outputs of atmospheric chemistry and transport models.
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