Nitrogen Deposition: Sources, Impacts and Responses in Natural and Semi-Natural Ecosystems

The main source of atmospheric ammonia (NH3) in Scotland is livestock agriculture, which accounts for 85% of emissions. The local magnitude of emissions therefore depends on livestock density, type, and management, with major differences occurring in various parts of Scotland. Local differences in agricultural activities therefore result in a wide range of NH3emissions, ranging from less than 0.2 kg N ha−1year−1in remote areas of the Scottish Highlands to over 100 kg N ha−1year−1in areas with intensive poultry farming. Scotland can be divided loosely into upland and lowland areas, with NH3emission being less than and more than 5 kg N ha−1year−1, respectively.Many semi-natural ecosystems in Scotland are vulnerable to nitrogen deposition, including bogs, moorlands, and the woodland ground flora. Because NH3emissions occur in the rural environment, the local deposition to sensitive ecosystems may be large, making it essential to assess the spatial distribution of NH3emissions and deposition. A spatial model is applied here to map NH3emissions and these estimates are applied in atmospheric dispersion and deposition models to estimate atmospheric concentrations of NH3and NH4+, dry deposition of NH3, and wet deposition of NHx. Although there is a high level of local variability, modelled NH3concentrations show good agreement with the National Ammonia Monitoring Network, while wet deposition is largest at high altitude sites in the south and west of Scotland. Comparison of the modelled NHxdeposition fields with estimated thresholds for environmental effects (“critical loads”) shows that thresholds are exceeded across most of lowland Scotland and the Southern Uplands. Only in the cleanest parts of the north and west is nitrogen deposition not a cause for concern. Given that the most intense effects occur within a few kilometres of sources, it is suggested that local spatial abatement policies would be a useful complement to traditional policies that mitigate environmental effects based on emission reduction technologies.

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Increasing importance of deposition of reduced nitrogen in the United States

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences ◽

10.1073/pnas.1525736113 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 113 (21) ◽

pp. 5874-5879 ◽

Cited By ~ 165

Author(s):

Yi Li ◽

Bret A. Schichtel ◽

John T. Walker ◽

Donna B. Schwede ◽

Xi Chen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

United States ◽

Nitrogen Deposition ◽

Wet Deposition ◽

Inorganic Nitrogen ◽

Rapid Development ◽

The United States ◽

Natural Ecosystems ◽

Nitrogen Emissions ◽

Reduced Nitrogen ◽

Reactive Nitrogen Emissions

Rapid development of agriculture and fossil fuel combustion greatly increased US reactive nitrogen emissions to the atmosphere in the second half of the 20th century, resulting in excess nitrogen deposition to natural ecosystems. Recent efforts to lower nitrogen oxides emissions have substantially decreased nitrate wet deposition. Levels of wet ammonium deposition, by contrast, have increased in many regions. Together these changes have altered the balance between oxidized and reduced nitrogen deposition. Across most of the United States, wet deposition has transitioned from being nitrate-dominated in the 1980s to ammonium-dominated in recent years. Ammonia has historically not been routinely measured because there are no specific regulatory requirements for its measurement. Recent expansion in ammonia observations, however, along with ongoing measurements of nitric acid and fine particle ammonium and nitrate, permit new insight into the balance of oxidized and reduced nitrogen in the total (wet + dry) US nitrogen deposition budget. Observations from 37 sites reveal that reduced nitrogen contributes, on average, ∼65% of the total inorganic nitrogen deposition budget. Dry deposition of ammonia plays an especially key role in nitrogen deposition, contributing from 19% to 65% in different regions. Future progress toward reducing US nitrogen deposition will be increasingly difficult without a reduction in ammonia emissions.

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Winter atmospheric nutrient and pollutant deposition on Western Sayan Mountain lakes (Siberia)

Biogeosciences ◽

10.5194/bg-18-1601-2021 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 18 (5) ◽

pp. 1601-1618

Author(s):

Daniel Diaz-de-Quijano ◽

Aleksander Vladimirovich Ageev ◽

Elena Anatolevna Ivanova ◽

Olesia Valerevna Anishchenko

Keyword(s):

Nitrogen Deposition ◽

Forest Fires ◽

Nitrogen Limitation ◽

Mountain Lakes ◽

Atmospheric Nitrogen Deposition ◽

Atmospheric Nitrogen ◽

Natural Ecosystems ◽

Nitrogen Emissions ◽

Carbonaceous Particle ◽

Nutrient Deposition

Abstract. The world map of anthropogenic atmospheric nitrogen deposition and its effects on natural ecosystems is not described with equal precision everywhere. In this paper, we report atmospheric nutrient, sulfate and spheroidal carbonaceous particle (SCP) deposition rates, based on snowpack analyses of a formerly unexplored Siberian mountain region. Then, we discuss their potential effects on lake phytoplankton biomass limitation. We estimate that the nutrient depositions observed in the late-season snowpack (40 ± 16 mg NO3-N m−2 and 0.58 ± 0.13 mg TP-P m−2; TP for total phosphorous) would correspond to yearly depositions lower than 119 ± 71 mg NO3-N m−2 yr−1 and higher than 1.71 ± 0.91 mg TP-P m−2 yr−1. These yearly deposition estimates would approximately fit the predictions of global deposition models and correspond to the very low nutrient deposition range, although they are still higher than world background values. In spite of the fact that such a low atmospheric nitrogen deposition rate would be enough to induce nitrogen limitation in unproductive mountain lakes, phosphorus deposition was also extremely low, and the resulting lake water N : P ratio was unaffected by atmospheric nutrient deposition. In the end, the studied lakes' phytoplankton appeared to be split between phosphorus and nitrogen limitation. We conclude that these pristine lakes are fragile sensitive systems exposed to the predicted climate warming, increased winter precipitation, enhanced forest fires and shifts in anthropogenic nitrogen emissions that could finally couple their water chemistry to that of atmospheric nutrient deposition and unlock temperature-inhibited responses of phytoplankton to nutrient shifts.

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Calculation of Sulphur and Nitrogen Deposition with the Frame Model and Assessment of the Exceedance of Critical Loads in Poland

Ecological Chemistry and Engineering S ◽

10.2478/eces-2013-0020 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 20 (2) ◽

pp. 279-290 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Maciej Kryza ◽

Wojciech Mill ◽

Anthony J. Dore ◽

Małgorzata Werner ◽

Marek Błaś

Keyword(s):

At Risk ◽

Nitrogen Deposition ◽

Critical Loads ◽

Wet Deposition ◽

Total Mass ◽

Close Agreement ◽

Terrestrial Ecosystems ◽

Natural Ecosystems ◽

Frame Model ◽

First Time

Abstract Sulphur and nitrogen deposition were calculated with the FRAME model and used to assess the exceedances of the critical loads for acidification and eutrophication of natural ecosystems in Poland. For the first time two tools: the FRAME and SONOX models were used jointly to provide information on ecosystems at risk. The FRAME model obtained close agreement with available sulphur and nitrogen wet deposition measurements. The total mass of sulphur deposited in Poland in year 2008 was estimated as 292 Gg S. Total deposition of nitrogen (oxidized + reduced) is 389 Gg N. 11% of the ecosystems in Poland were calculated to be at risk of acidification due to deposition of sulphur and nitrogen. In the case of eutrophication, over 95% of terrestrial ecosystems are at risk due to the large deposition of nitrogen compounds.

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The Impact of Nitrogen Deposition on Natural and Semi-Natural Ecosystems

10.1007/978-94-017-3356-4 ◽

1999 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Keyword(s):

Nitrogen Deposition ◽

Natural Ecosystems ◽

The Impact

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Lichen community change over a 15-year time period: effects of climate and pollution

The Lichenologist ◽

10.1017/s0024282912000539 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 45 (1) ◽

pp. 35-50 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Marianne EVJU ◽

Inga E. BRUTEIG

Keyword(s):

Species Composition ◽

Nitrogen Deposition ◽

Community Change ◽

Repeated Measurements ◽

Natural Ecosystems ◽

Humid Climate ◽

Sulphur Compounds ◽

Clear Trend ◽

Sulphur Deposition ◽

Generalist Species

AbstractOver the last decades, levels of sulphur deposition from air pollution have been substantially reduced in Norway, whereas levels of nitrogen deposition have been stable or somewhat increased. In parallel, a clear trend of increasing annual temperatures, as well as precipitation, is evident. Human impact on natural ecosystems is predicted to reduce biodiversity at regional scales through facilitating a few generalist species at the expense of species with narrow habitat requirements. In this study, we investigate changes in community composition and the abundance of dominant lichen species on birch in subalpine forests over a 15-year period. The study is based on repeated measurements in five monitoring sites in Norway, representing regional gradients in temperature and precipitation as well as in deposition of nitrogen and sulphur compounds. Two dominant species are studied in particular; the generalist Hypogymnia physodes and the subalpine birch specialist Melanelia olivacea. The largest change in species composition was found in the site with the biggest reduction in sulphur deposition during the 15-year period, whereas the site with low precipitation and low pollution loads had small changes in species composition. The abundance of the generalist H. physodes increased in all sites and the specialist M. olivacea decreased in abundance, especially in sites with both high precipitation and heavy nitrogen deposition. Our study thus suggests that a warmer, humid climate is beneficial for the generalist H. physodes.

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Current atmospheric nitrogen deposition still exceeds critical loads for sensitive, semi-natural ecosystems in Switzerland

Atmospheric Environment ◽

10.1016/j.atmosenv.2019.05.005 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 211 ◽

pp. 214-225 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Zaida Kosonen ◽

Elvira Schnyder ◽

Erika Hiltbrunner ◽

Anne Thimonier ◽

Maria Schmitt ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Nitrogen Deposition ◽

Critical Loads ◽

Atmospheric Nitrogen Deposition ◽

Atmospheric Nitrogen ◽

Natural Ecosystems

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Induction of indirect N 2 O and NO emissions by atmospheric nitrogen deposition in (semi-)natural ecosystems in Switzerland

Atmospheric Environment ◽

10.1016/j.atmosenv.2014.12.037 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 103 ◽

pp. 94-101 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Tobias Bühlmann ◽

Erika Hiltbrunner ◽

Christian Körner ◽

Beat Rihm ◽

Beat Achermann

Keyword(s):

Nitrogen Deposition ◽

Atmospheric Nitrogen Deposition ◽

Atmospheric Nitrogen ◽

Natural Ecosystems ◽

No Emissions

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The issue of radioactive contamination in context of ecosystem services development

Agricultural science and practice ◽

10.15407/agrisp3.03.048 ◽

2016 ◽

Vol 3 (3) ◽

pp. 48-53 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

G. Chobotko ◽

L. Raychuk ◽

I. McDonald

Keyword(s):

Ecosystem Services ◽

The State ◽

Natural Ecosystems ◽

Type Region ◽

State Register ◽

Agrarian Policy ◽

Literary Sources ◽

Radiation Contamination ◽

Logical Research

The aim of the article was to defi ne the role of the radioactive environment contamination in the formation of ecosystem services strategy. Methods. Monographic, systemic and structural, factor analysis, abstract and logical research methods have been used. The data from the State Statistics Service of Ukraine, the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine, the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Ukraine, materials of scientifi c researches, international materials and reports and other literary sources on the issues investigated have been used as an information base. Results. Retrospective analysis of sources and state of radioactive eco- systems contamination was conducted and the priority steps in developing the concept of ecosystem services in conditions of radiation contamination were found. Conclusions. The current socio-ecological paradigm of the transition from environmental use to environmental management should be refl ected in the relevant envi- ronmental management mechanisms. Currently, when assessing the state of ecosystem services in Ukraine and worldwide one must take into account the changes in food demand of residents of radioactively contaminated areas, the exploitation of radioactively safe ecosystems growth, their overload and degradation. All of this re- quires an inventory of ecosystem services by type, region, consumers, etc. and the formation of a state register of ecosystem services with a clear assignment of area of responsibility for appropriate natural ecosystems. This will help to make the economic evaluation of different ecosystem services and mechanisms of charges for ecosystem services.

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