Nitrogen deposition and effects on European forests

2000 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 65-93 ◽  
Author(s):  
J W Erisman ◽  
W de Vries
Keyword(s):  
Species Diversity ◽  
Nitrogen Deposition ◽  
Forest Ecosystems ◽  
N Deposition ◽  
Ground Vegetation ◽  
N Saturation ◽  
Input Output ◽  
Soil Response ◽  
Field Evidence ◽  
The Impact

Hypotheses about the impacts of elevated atmospheric deposition of nitrogen on the forest ecosystem include an increased sensitivity to natural stress, impacts on roots, reduced species diversity of the ground vegetation, reduced growth, and unbalanced nutritional status due to eutrophication and acidification. The impact of N deposition has gained in ecological importance during recent decades, in part due to the steady decline in S emissions. Results of throughfall and deposition measurements at 163 plots in Europe show that total deposition of S and N compounds ranged from 100 to 3000 mol ha–1 yr–1 in approximately 90% of the plots, but values up to 4000–8000 mol ha–1 yr–1 were also observed. Approximately 50% of the plots received N inputs, dominated by NH4, above 1000 mol ha–1 yr–1, which is a deposition level at which species diversity of the ground vegetation may be at risk. Results of input–output budgets for plots concentrated in Northern and Western Europe indicate that nitrate leaching starts to occur at throughfall inputs above 10 kg ha–1 yr–1, specifically in soils with C/N ratios in the humus layer below 25. Examples are given of field evidence for impacts of elevated N deposition, including elevated N contents in foliage and soil, Al release in soil response to increased nitrate concentrations, reduced shoot/root ratios, and a reduction in species diversity. Although knowledge about the response of forest ecosystems to N inputs has increased over the last decade, there is still a lack of information on the dynamics of N accumulation and related critical N loads in a range of environmental conditions. Furthermore, a European-wide perspective of N saturation in forest ecosystems is still lacking.Key words: nitrogen, deposition, input–output budgets, nitrogen status, forests, effects.

scholarly journals Effects of reindeer grazing and recovery after cessation of grazing on the ground-dwelling spider assemblage in Finnish Lapland

PeerJ ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. e7330
Author(s):  
Teemu Saikkonen ◽  
Varpu Vahtera ◽  
Seppo Koponen ◽  
Otso Suominen
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Rangifer Tarandus ◽  
Forest Ecosystems ◽  
Grazing Pressure ◽  
Ground Vegetation ◽  
Total Abundance ◽  
Finnish Lapland ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
The Impact

The effect of reindeer Rangifer tarandus L. grazing on the ground-dwelling spider assemblage in Northern Finland was studied. Changes in species richness, abundance and evenness of spider assemblages were analyzed in relation to changes in vegetation and environmental factors in long term grazed and ungrazed sites as well as sites that had recently switched from grazed to ungrazed and vice versa. Grazing was found to have a significant impact on height and biomass of lichens and other ground vegetation. However, it seemed not to have an impact on the total abundance of spiders. This is likely caused by opposing family and species level responses of spiders to the grazing regime. Lycosid numbers were highest in grazed and linyphiid numbers in ungrazed areas. Lycosidae species richness was highest in ungrazed areas whereas Linyphiidae richness showed no response to grazing. Four Linyphiidae, one Thomisidae and one Lycosidae species showed strong preference for specific treatments. Sites that had recovered from grazing for nine years and the sites that were grazed for the last nine years but were previously ungrazed resembled the long term grazed sites. The results emphasize the importance of reindeer as a modifier of boreal forest ecosystems but the impact of reindeer grazing on spiders seems to be family and species specific. The sites with reversed grazing treatment demonstrate that recovery from strong grazing pressure at these high latitudes is a slow process whereas reindeer can rapidly change the conditions in previously ungrazed sites similar to long term heavily grazed conditions.

Modelling Nitrogen Deposition on a Local Scale—A Review of the Current State of the Art

2006 ◽  
Vol 3 (5) ◽  
pp. 317 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ole Hertel ◽  
Carsten Ambelas Skjøth ◽  
Per Løfstrøm ◽  
Camilla Geels ◽  
Lise Marie Frohn ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nitrogen Deposition ◽  
Environmental Assessment ◽  
State Of The Art ◽  
N Deposition ◽  
Model Systems ◽  
Special Focus ◽  
Ammonia Emissions ◽  
High Nitrogen ◽  
Current State ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. Local ammonia emissions from agricultural activities are often associated with high nitrogen deposition in the close vicinity of the sources. High nitrogen (N) inputs may significantly affect the local ecosystems. Over a longer term, high loads may change the composition of the ecosystems, leading to a general decrease in local biodiversity. In Europe there is currently a significant focus on the impact of atmospheric N load on local ecosystems among environmental managers and policy makers. Model tools designed for application in N deposition assessment and aimed for use in the regulation of anthropogenic nitrogen emissions are, therefore, under development in many European countries. The aim of this paper is to present a review of the current understanding and modelling parameterizations of atmospheric N deposition. A special focus is on the development of operational tools for use in environmental assessment and regulation related to agricultural ammonia emissions. For the often large number of environmental impact assessments needed to be carried out by local environmental managers there is, furthermore, a need for simple and fast model systems. These systems must capture the most important aspects of dispersion and deposition of N in the nearby environment of farms with animal production. The paper includes a discussion on the demands on the models applied in environmental assessment and regulation and how these demands are fulfilled in current state-of-the-art models.

scholarly journals Response of litter decomposition and the soil environment to one-year nitrogen addition in a Schrenk spruce forest in the Tianshan Mountains, China

2022 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Zhaolong Ding ◽  
Xu Liu ◽  
Lu Gong ◽  
Xin Chen ◽  
Jingjing Zhao ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nitrogen Deposition ◽  
Litter Decomposition ◽  
Forest Ecosystems ◽  
N Deposition ◽  
Tianshan Mountains ◽  
Control Treatment ◽  
N Addition ◽  
Soil Environment ◽  
N Application ◽  
Positive Effect

AbstractHuman activities have increased the input of nitrogen (N) to forest ecosystems and have greatly affected litter decomposition and the soil environment. But differences in forests with different nitrogen deposition backgrounds. To better understand the response of litter decomposition and soil environment of N-limited forest to nitrogen deposition. We established an in situ experiment to simulate the effects of N deposition on soil and litter ecosystem processes in a Picea schrenkiana forest in the Tianshan Mountains, China. This study included four N treatments: control (no N addition), low N addition (LN: 5 kg N ha−1 a−1), medium N addition (MN: 10 kg N ha−1 a−1) and high N addition (HN: 20 kg N ha−1 a−1). Our results showed that N addition had a significant effect on litter decomposition and the soil environment. Litter mass loss in the LN treatment and in the MN treatment was significantly higher than that in the control treatment. In contrast, the amount of litter lost in the HN treatment was significantly lower than the other treatments. N application inhibited the degradation of lignin but promoted the breakdown of cellulose. The carbon (C), N, and phosphorus (P) contents of litter did not differ significantly among the treatments, but LN promoted the release of C and P. Our results also showed that soil pH decreased with increasing nitrogen application rates, while soil enzyme activity showed the opposite trend. In addition, the results of redundancy analysis (RDA) and correlation analyses showed that the soil environment was closely related to litter decomposition. Soil enzymes had a positive effect on litter decomposition rates, and N addition amplified these correlations. Our study confirmed that N application had effects on litter decomposition and the soil environment in a N-limited P. schrenkiana forest. LN had a strong positive effect on litter decomposition and the soil environment, while HN was significantly negative. Therefore, increased N deposition may have a negative effect on material cycling of similar forest ecosystems in the near future.

scholarly journals N fluxes in two nitrogen saturated forested catchments in Germany: dynamics and modelling with INCA

2002 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 383-394 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.-J. Langusch ◽  
E. Matzner
Keyword(s):  
Soil Depth ◽  
N Deposition ◽  
Model Complexity ◽  
N Saturation ◽  
Atmospheric N Deposition ◽  
Catchment Scale ◽  
Forested Catchments ◽  
Mineral N ◽  
N Fluxes ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. The N cycle in forests of the temperate zone in Europe has been changed substantially by the impact of atmospheric N deposition. Here, the fluxes and concentrations of mineral N in throughfall, soil solution and runoff in two German catchments, receiving high N inputs are investigated to test the applicability of an Integrated Nitrogen Model for European Catchments (INCA) to small forested catchments. The Lehstenbach catchment (419 ha) is located in the German Fichtelgebirge (NO Bavaria, 690-871 m asl.) and is stocked with Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) of different ages. The Steinkreuz catchment (55 ha) with European beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) as the dominant tree species is located in the Steigerwald (NW Bavaria, 400-460 m asl.). The mean annual N fluxes with throughfall were slightly higher at the Lehstenbach (24.6 kg N ha-1) than at the Steinkreuz (20.4 kg N ha-1). In both catchments the N fluxes in the soil are dominated by NO3. At Lehstenbach, the N output with seepage at 90 cm soil depth was similar to the N flux with throughfall. At Steinkreuz more than 50 % of the N deposited was retained in the upper soil horizons. In both catchments, the NO3 fluxes with runoff were lower than those with seepage. The average annual NO3 concentrations in runoff in both catchments were between 0.7 to 1.4 mg NO3-N L-1 and no temporal trend was observed. The N budgets at the catchment scale indicated similar amounts of N retention (Lehstenbach: 19 kg N ha-1yr-1 ; Steinkreuz: 17 kg N ha-1yr-1). The parameter settings of the INCA model were simplified to reduce the model complexity. In both catchments, the NO3 concentrations and fluxes in runoff were matched well by the model. The seasonal patterns with lower NO3 runoff concentrations in summer at the Lehstenbach catchment were replicated. INCA underestimated the increased N3 concentrations during short periods of rewetting in late autumn at the Steinkreuz catchment. The model will be a helpful tool for the calculation of "critical loads" for the N deposition in Central European forests including different hydrological regimes. Keywords: forest ecosystem, modelling, N budgets, N saturation, NO3 leaching, water quality, INCA

scholarly journals Quantifying atmospheric nitrogen deposition through a nationwide monitoring network across China

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (13) ◽  
pp. 18365-18405 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Xu ◽  
X. S. Luo ◽  
Y. P. Pan ◽  
L. Zhang ◽  
A. H. Tang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nitrogen Deposition ◽  
Wet Deposition ◽  
Inorganic Nitrogen ◽  
Monitoring Network ◽  
Terrestrial Ecosystems ◽  
N Deposition ◽  
The Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Deposition Fluxes ◽  
Airborne Concentration ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. Global reactive nitrogen (Nr) deposition to terrestrial ecosystems has increased dramatically since the industrial revolution. This is especially true in recent decades in China due to continuous economic growth. However, there are no comprehensive reports of both measured dry and wet Nr deposition across China. We therefore conducted a multiple-year study during the period mainly from 2010 to 2014 to monitor atmospheric concentrations of five major Nr species of gaseous NH3, NO2 and HNO3, and inorganic nitrogen (NH4+ and NO3−) in both particles and precipitation, based on a Nationwide Nitrogen Deposition Monitoring Network (NNDMN, covering 43 sites) in China. Wet deposition fluxes of Nr species were measured directly; dry deposition fluxes were estimated using airborne concentration measurements and inferential models. Our observations reveal large spatial variations of atmospheric Nr concentrations and dry and wet Nr deposition. The annual average concentrations (1.3–47.0 μg N m−3) and dry plus wet deposition fluxes (2.9–75.2 kg N ha−1 yr−1) of inorganic Nr species ranked by region as North China > Southeast China > Southwest China > Northeast China > Northwest China > the Tibetan Plateau or by land use as urban > rural > background sites, reflecting the impact of anthropogenic Nr emission. Average dry and wet N deposition fluxes were 18.5 and 19.3 kg N ha−1 yr−1, respectively, across China, with reduced N deposition dominating both dry and wet deposition. Our results suggest atmospheric dry N deposition is equally important to wet N deposition at the national scale and both deposition forms should be included when considering the impacts of N deposition on environment and ecosystem health.

scholarly journals Long-term modelling of nitrogen turnover and critical loads in a forested catchment using the INCA model

2002 ◽  
Vol 6 (3) ◽  
pp. 395-402 ◽  
Author(s):  
J.-J. Langusch ◽  
E. Matzner
Keyword(s):  
Steady State ◽  
Critical Load ◽  
Mass Balance ◽  
Critical Loads ◽  
Forest Ecosystems ◽  
N Deposition ◽  
N Saturation ◽  
Negative Consequences ◽  
Hydrological Conditions

Abstract. Many forest ecosystems in Central Europe have reached the status of N saturation due to chronically high N deposition. In consequence, the NO3 leaching into ground- and surface waters is often substantial. Critical loads have been defined to abate the negative consequences of the NO3 leaching such as soil acidification and nutrient losses. The steady state mass balance method is normally used to calculate critical loads for N deposition in forest ecosystems. However, the steady state mass balance approach is limited because it does not take into account hydrology and the time until the steady state is reached. The aim of this study was to test the suitability of another approach: the dynamic model INCA (Integrated Nitrogen Model for European Catchments). Long-term effects of changing N deposition and critical loads for N were simulated using INCA for the Lehstenbach spruce catchment (Fichtelgebirge, NE Bavaria, Germany) under different hydrological conditions. Long-term scenarios of either increasing or decreasing N deposition indicated that, in this catchment, the response of nitrate concentrations in runoff to changing N deposition is buffered by a large groundwater reservoir. The critical load simulated by the INCA model with respect to a nitrate concentration of 0.4 mg N l–1 as threshold value in runoff was 9.7 kg N ha–1yr–1 compared to 10 kg ha–1yr–1 for the steady state model. Under conditions of lower precipitation (520 mm) the resulting critical load was 7.7 kg N ha–1yr–1 , suggesting the necessity to account for different hydrological conditions when calculating critical loads. The INCA model seems to be suitable to calculate critical loads for N in forested catchments under varying hydrological conditions e.g. as a consequence of climate change. Keywords: forest ecosystem, N saturation, critical load, modelling, long-term scenario, nitrate leaching, critical loads reduction, INCA

scholarly journals Quantifying atmospheric nitrogen deposition through a nationwide monitoring network across China

2015 ◽  
Vol 15 (21) ◽  
pp. 12345-12360 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Xu ◽  
X. S. Luo ◽  
Y. P. Pan ◽  
L. Zhang ◽  
A. H. Tang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Nitrogen Deposition ◽  
North China ◽  
Monitoring Network ◽  
Northwest China ◽  
N Deposition ◽  
Bulk Deposition ◽  
Deposition Fluxes ◽  
Airborne Concentration ◽  
Precipitation Gauge ◽  
The Impact

Abstract. A Nationwide Nitrogen Deposition Monitoring Network (NNDMN) containing 43 monitoring sites was established in China to measure gaseous NH3, NO2, and HNO3 and particulate NH4+ and NO3− in air and/or precipitation from 2010 to 2014. Wet/bulk deposition fluxes of Nr species were collected by precipitation gauge method and measured by continuous-flow analyzer; dry deposition fluxes were estimated using airborne concentration measurements and inferential models. Our observations reveal large spatial variations of atmospheric Nr concentrations and dry and wet/bulk Nr deposition. On a national basis, the annual average concentrations (1.3–47.0 μg N m−3) and dry plus wet/bulk deposition fluxes (2.9–83.3 kg N ha−1 yr−1) of inorganic Nr species are ranked by land use as urban > rural > background sites and by regions as north China > southeast China > southwest China > northeast China > northwest China > Tibetan Plateau, reflecting the impact of anthropogenic Nr emission. Average dry and wet/bulk N deposition fluxes were 20.6 ± 11.2 (mean ± standard deviation) and 19.3 ± 9.2 kg N ha−1 yr−1 across China, with reduced N deposition dominating both dry and wet/bulk deposition. Our results suggest atmospheric dry N deposition is equally important to wet/bulk N deposition at the national scale. Therefore, both deposition forms should be included when considering the impacts of N deposition on environment and ecosystem health.

scholarly journals The impact of recreational digression of forest ecosystems in Opillia on species diversity of soil micromycetes

2017 ◽  
Vol 0 (1) ◽  
pp. 82-86
Author(s):  
Ольга Ігорівна Дерех ◽  
Вікторія Петрівна Оліферчук
Keyword(s):  
Species Diversity ◽  
Forest Ecosystems ◽  
The Impact

scholarly journals Nitrogen Deposition and Responses of Forest Structure to Nitrogen Deposition in a Cool-Temperate Deciduous Forest

Forests ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 631 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ruoming Cao ◽  
Siyu Chen ◽  
Shinpei Yoshitake ◽  
Toshiyuki Ohtsuka
Keyword(s):  
Nitrogen Deposition ◽  
Forest Canopy ◽  
Forest Ecosystems ◽  
Deciduous Forest ◽  
N Deposition ◽  
Organic N ◽  
Dwarf Bamboo ◽  
Temperate Deciduous Forest ◽  
Total N ◽  
Cool Temperate

Few studies have reported the estimation of nitrogen (N) deposition, including dissolved organic N (DON) fluxes, through water flows and the contribution of snowfall in Asia. In this study, the concentrations and fluxes of DON and dissolved inorganic N (DIN) in bulk precipitation (BP), the throughfall (TF) of trees and understory dwarf bamboo, and stemflow (SF) were evaluated in a cool-temperate forest over three years to clarify N fluxes via precipitation and responses of trees and understory canopies to N deposition. The input of N to the study site in BP was 11.1 ± 1.71 kg N ha−1 year−1, with a significant contribution from DON (78%). Snowfall fluxes contributed up to 46% of the total N input, with variations related to the amount of snowfall (2.08–5.52 kg N ha−1 year−1). The forest canopy enriched DON (2.11 ± 0.42 kg N ha−1 year−1) but consumed NO3 + NO2–N (−0.73 ± 0.19 kg N ha−1 year−1). In contrast, through the understory bamboo canopy, DON (−1.02 ± 0.55 kg N ha−1 year−1) decreased while DIN (0.35 ± 0.44 kg N ha−1 year−1) increased. This study indicates that DON and snowfall should not be neglected when evaluating total N deposition into forest ecosystems, especially in remote regions. The canopy processes related to the dissolved N in the presence of understory plants might have significant implications for the internal N cycle in forest ecosystems.

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