Critical loads for nitrogen deposition on forest ecosystems

Critical loads for N deposition are derived from an ecosystem's anion and cation balance assuming that the processes determining ecosystem stability are soil acidification and nitrate leaching. Depending on the deposition of S, the parent soil material, and the site quality critical N deposition rates will range between 20 to 200 mmol m^?2 yr^?1 (3 to 14 kg ha^?1 yr^?1) on silicate soils and reach 20 to 390 mmol m^?2 yr^?1 (3 to 48 kg ha^?1) on calcareous soils.     

Critical loads of acidity for surface waters

The critical load of acidity for surface waters is based on the concept that the inputs of acids to a catchment do not exceed the weathering less a given amount of ANC. The Steady State Water Chemistry (SSWC) Method is used to calculate critical loads, using present water chemistry. To ensure no damage to biological indicators such as fish species a value for ANC_limit of 20 μeq/l has been used to date for calculating critical loads. The SSWC-method is sensitive to the choice of the ANC_limit. In areas with little acid deposition the probability of acid episodes leading to fish kills is small even if the ANC_limit is set to zero, while in areas with high acidic deposition fish kills may occur at this value. Thus, the ANC_limit can be a function of the acidifying deposition to the lake, nearing zero at low deposition and increasing to higher values at higher deposition. A formulation for such an ANC_limit has been worked out, and we have tested the effect of the ANC_limit as a linear function of the deposition, assuming ANC_limit = 0 at zero deposition with a linear increase to 50 ueq/l at a deposition of 200 meq.m^?2.yr^?1. For areas with high deposition the effect of a variable ANC_limit is small, while in areas with low deposition the effect is significant. For Norway the exceeded area decreases from 36 to 30% using a variable ANC_limit instead of a fixed value of 20 μeq/l.     

Critical loads of acidity to surface waters

The critical load of acidity to surface water is based on the condition that the inputs of acids to a catchment do not exceed the weathering rate less a given amount of ANC (Acid Neutralizing Capacity). The Steady State Water Chemistry (SSWC) Method is used to calculate critical loads of acidity, using present water chemistry. To calculate the weathering, the so-called F-factor is used to estimate the part of the base cation flux that is due to soil acidification. The F-factor has been estimated empirically from historical data comparisons from Norway, Sweden, U.S.A. and Canada and is considered to be a function of the base cation concentration by the formula: F=sin(BC^*/S), where BC^* is the present base cation concentration and S the base cation concentration at which F=1. At higher values for BC^* F is set to 1. For Norway, Sweden and Finland S has been set to 400 μeq/l (ca. 8 mg Ca/l), giving F-values in the range 0.05–0.2. The importance of the F-factor in the calculations of the critical loads of acidity for Nordic surface waters was tested by calculating the magnitude of the area where the critical load of acidity is exceeded in Norway for different values of S. Similar calculations were carried out for the Finnish and Swedish lake data. Varying S from 100 μeq/l to 1200 μeq/l, the exceeded area in Norway decreases from 31,9 to 28,3%. For F=0 (S=∞, i.e. assuming no soil acidification), the exceeded area is reduced to 27,2%. For Finland and Sweden the the percent of lakes exceeded are reduced from 16,6 to 12,9% and 30 to 23,6%, respectively. For F = 0 the percent of lakes exceeded are reduced to 11,4 and 16,4, repectively. These results indicate that the F-factor is not of great importance for calculating critical load and critical load exceedances in Norway, Finland and Sweden.     

Critical loads for nitrogen deposition for Great Britain

There is currently much interest in mapping critical loads for nitrogen deposition as part of a strategy for controlling nitrogen emissions. While nitrogen deposition may cause acidification and excess nutrient effects, the former were considered previously in studies of sulphur deposition. In the UK, work on developing nutrient nitrogen critical loads maps has used several methods and databases. Two approaches are described here, one a steady state calculation using a nitrogen saturation limit for soil systems, the other an empirical estimate of critical loads set to prevent changes to vegetation communities. The empirical method uses national species records and land cover data derived from satellite imagery. Maps drawn from the available data are dependent upon a number of factors which reflect the approach used. To apply the nutrient critical loads to a strategy for future abatement measures, the nutrient nitrogen values for soils have been incorporated within a “critical loads function” which takes into account both acidity and nutrient effects as related to deposition loads for sulphur and nitrogen. This function may be used with deposition data to identify the need for sulphur and nitrogen emission reductions.     

Critical deposition levels for nitrogen and sulphur on dutch forest ecosystems

Critical loads for N and S on Dutch forest ecosystems have been derived in relation to effects induced by eutrophication and acidification, such as changes in forest vegetation, nutrient imbalances, increased susceptibility to diseases, nitrate leaching, and Al toxicity. The criteria that have been used are N contents in needles, nitrate concentrations in groundwater (drinking water), and NH₄/K ratios, Ca/Al ratios, and Al concentrations in the soil solution. Assuming an equal contribution of N and S, all effects seem to be prevented at a total deposition level below 600 mol_c ha^?1 yr^?1 due to N uptake by stemwood and acid neutralization by base cation weathering. The most serious effects will probably be prevented at total deposition levels between 1500 and 2000 mol_c ha^?1 yr^?1. The current average deposition in the Netherlands is 4900 mol_c ha^?1 yr^?1.     

Calculation and mapping of critical loads of s,n and acidity on ecosystems of the Northern Asia

On the basis of modified simple steady state mass-balance equations, the critical loads for nutrient and acidifying nitrogen as well as for sulphur and acidity have been calculated for various ecosystems of northern Asia using simplified expert-modelling GIS and grid cells 150×150 km. The minimal values of critical loads of nitrogen, CL(N), (<50eq a/yr)=" were=" shown=" for=" arctic=" and=" subarctic=" ecosystems=" and=" the=" maximal=" ones=" (=">300eq/ha/yr) for ecosystems of chernozemic and chernozem-like soils in southern Siberia and the Far East. The minimal values of critical loads of sulphur, CL(S), as well as acidity were shown predominantly in the northern part of east Siberia and in the Kamchatka peninsula and the maximal ones for ecosystems having neutral and alcaline soils. The corresponding exceedances were indicated for many regions of the northern part of Asia with maximal values for regions of Ural mountains, frontery of Kazakhstan, Altai, lower Yenisei river flow, Far East, Sakhalin and South-Kurilean islands.     

Critical loads of acid deposition for forest ecosystems in the Kola Peninsula

We assessed critical loads of acid deposition and their exceedance for soils in the Kola Peninsula using a simple balance method and mapped them within 1.0° × 0.5° longitude/latitude grid cells. Critical loads of acidity vary from 200 to 800 mol_c/ha/y with the type of soil, parent rock, vegetation and climatic conditions. The critical deposition values are dominated by S contribution. Present sulphur depositions are higher than critical values in the large part of the Kola Peninsula (about 40% of total area). The greatest excess (800–1200 mol_c/ha/y) occur in north-western and western parts, especially in surroundings of nickel smelter in Nickel. Terrestrial ecosystems in the north-western Kola Peninsula are particularly susceptible to acid deposition damage due to relatively high soil sensitivity and heavy sulphur deposition.     

Critical loads for nitrogen deposition: Case studies at two northern hardwood forests

A critical load of a pollutant is the level of input below which no harmful ecological effects occur to a complex ecosystem. Critical loads are being used in policy decisions regarding air pollution emissions. In this paper, we applied four mass and charge balance methods of calculating critical loads to two northern hardwood forests in the northeastern United States. Critical loads for nitrogen deposition with respect to acidity ranged from 0–630 eq/ha-yr. Critical loads for nitrogen deposition with respect to effects of elevated nitrogen (eutrophication and nutrient imbalances) ranged from 0–1450 eq/ha-yr. At both the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest (HBEF) and Huntington Wildlife Forest (HWF), the critical load for nitrogen with respect to acidity was exceeded. At the HBEF, due to reduced forest growth, the critical load for nitrogen with respect to nutrient imbalances and eutrophication was exceeded in recent years. At Huntington Wildlife Forest, the critical load with respect to nitrogen effects was also exceeded. This analysis demonstrated that the calculated critical load of nitrogen varies in response to changes in environmental conditions such as variations in atmospheric deposition of sulfate or changes in forest biomass accumulation.     

Critical loads of sulfur and nitrogen for lakes I: Model description and estimation of uncertainty

Presently considerable effort is devoted to the development of methods for estimating critical loads of acidic deposition. In this paper a steady-state mass balance model for lakes is presented, allowing the simultaneous calculation of critical loads of acidifying S and N deposition and their exceedance. Special emphasis is given to the derivation of model inputs and parameters and the quantification of their uncertainties. The inclusion of rate-limited processes in the model leads to the dependence of the critical loads not only on catchment properties but also on the loading to the ecosystem. As a consequence, critical load values have to be re-calculated whenever deposition patterns change. The methods presented in this study are used in an accompanying paper to derive regional distributions of critical loads of S and N for lakes in Finland and to quantify their uncertainties.     

Critical loads of sulfur and nitrogen for lakes II: Regional extent and variability in Finland

The concept of critical loads has been developed to assist in the design of environmentally sound abatement strategies for the emissions of acidifying compounds. In this paper the critical loads of S and N for lakes in Finland are computed and mapped, based on methods presented in an accompanying paper. The employed steady-state mass balance model allows the simultaneous evaluation of the reductions required of S and N deposition exceeding these critical loads. Special emphasis has been put on the presentation of the spatial variability and the uncertainty of the critical loads and their exceedances. The derived critical loads of S and N for lakes in Finland show a substantial spatial variability. The highest exceedance of critical loads is presently estimated in the south-east of the country, where up to 80% of the lakes show an exceedance of the critical loads of S. The evaluation of two emission scenarios shows that only “maximum feasible reductions” would be sufficient for protecting most Finnish lakes from the impacts of acidic deposition. The results of this study form a basis for setting national targets for emission reductions in Finland.     

Critical loads of acidity to surface waters in the Vosges massif (north-east of France)

Acid clearwater fishless streams have been identified in the Vosges mountains. In order to evaluate the relatipnships between acidifying factors (such as atmospheric deposition), buffering factors (such as bedrock and soil type), and surface water acidity, an exhaustive survey of streamwater acidity in the Vosges mountains (N-E France) was performed. A network of 11 measurement stations of atmospheric deposition was used to estimate and map deposition over the whole massif (total area 5000 km²). Data on bedrock, soil, superficial deposits, and vegetation were collected from published studies. Sensitive areas as well as acidifying environment factors were derived from the corresponding maps. Over the whole massif, 19% of streams showed baseflow alkalinity below 30 eq.r¹ and 7.5 % were identified as acid (pH < 5.4).=" acid=" streams=" occur=" on=" the=" north-western=" side=" of=" the=" massif=" on=" quartzrich=" sandstone=" and=" acid=" granites.=" in=" each=" of=" these=" areas,=" we=" could=" clearly=" point=" out=" on=" one=" hand,=" the=" negative=" influence=" of=" conifer=" vegetation=" and=" glacial=" soil=" abrasion=" or=" induration,=" and=" on=" the=" other=" hand=" the=" buffering=" effect=" of=" moraine=" deposits.=" a=" corresponding=" range=" of=" critical=" loads=">< 0.2=" to=" 2.0=" keq.=">¹ yr¹) for surface water was calculated using the Steady State Water, Chemistry method (SSWC).     

中亚热带几种典型森林生态系统碳、氮储存功能研究

采用定位研究方法, 从生态系统服务功能角度, 对比研究了中亚热带区域7种典型森林生态系统碳、氮储存功能。结果表明, 次生常绿阔叶林碳、氮储存功能最强, 杉阔混交林碳、氮储存功能比同林龄的杉木纯林强, 而第1代杉木纯林碳、氮储存功能强于连栽杉木纯林。生态系统碳、氮储存功能空间分布基本一致, 土壤层是主要部分, 其次为乔木层, 然后是根系, 林下植被层和凋落层所占比例最小。相关分析表明, 土壤碳、氮储存功能与林下植被生物量、森林凋落物现存量之间都具有良好的线性关系, 但与地下部分生物量相关性不明显。     

不同氮效率夏玉米临界氮浓度稀释模型与氮营养诊断

【目的】建立豫中地区玉米临界氮稀释曲线,比较不同氮素利用率玉米品种模型差异,探讨基于此的氮营养指数用于诊断、评价玉米氮素营养的可靠性,为实现玉米合理施用氮肥提供理论依据。【方法】以伟科702和中单909两个不同氮利用效率的品种为试验材料进行连续三年的田间定位试验,共设5个氮肥水平(0、120、180、240和360 kg/hm^2),分析不同施氮量对两个玉米品种拔节期、大喇叭口期、吐丝期、收获期干物质的影响,基于不同时期干物质和植株氮浓度建立两个品种临界氮稀释曲线,分析不同氮利用率品种玉米临界氮稀释曲线模型的差异和氮营养指数及其与相对地上部生物量和相对产量的关系。【结果】中单909的氮利用率显著高于伟科702。在各生育时期,两个玉米品种地上部生物量随施氮量变化表现为N0 –0.341,中单909 Nc=30.801DM^–0.370)具有很好的稳定性。相比中单909的模型参数,伟科702的参数a提高了15.70%,参数b降低了7.84%,且参数a变化值大于参数b。同一时期两个品种基于此模型的氮营养指数均随施氮量的增加而上升;施氮量低于180 kg/hm^2时,随着玉米生育时期的推进,氮营养指数随施氮量的增加呈先升高再降低的趋势,当施氮量超过240 kg/hm^2时,氮营养指数一直升高。氮营养指数与相对地上部生物量、相对产量相关性均达到显著水平。【结论】本文建立的豫中地区的两个品种玉米临界氮稀释曲线模型及氮营养指数,可以很好地诊断和评价玉米植株氮素营养状况。不同氮利用率品种间临界氮浓度稀释曲线模型参数存在差异,氮高效的品种具有较低的单位生物量氮浓度和较高的曲线斜率,其各时期临界氮浓度低于氮利用率低的品种。     

Seasonal patterns in acidity of precipitation and their implications for forest stream ecosystems

Data collected since 1965 at a network of nine stations in the northeastern United States show that precipitation is most acid in the growing season (May-September) and least acid in winter (December-February). For the Hubbard Brook station in New Hampshire, where the mean hydrogen ion content of precipitation ranges between 46 peq 1^?1 in winter and 102 peq 1^?1 in summer, the seasonal pattern in acidity correlates closely with seasonal differences in S deposition from the atmosphere. As summer precipitation passes through the forest canopy, H ion concentrations are lowered by an average of 90%, primarily as a result of exchange with other cations. In winter the H ion content of incident precipitation is lowered from a mean of 50 peq 1^?1 to a mean of 25 peq l^?1 during storage in the snowpack.     

Uncertainty analysis of critical loads for terrestrial ecosystems in Russia

The goal of this study is to give a comprehensive and quantitative estimation of the uncertainty of computed in different scale nitrogen (N) and sulphur (S) critical loads (CL) values for terrestrial ecosystems of the Northern Asia, European part and the North-Western regions of Russia. The CL values are used to set goals for future deposition rates of acidifying compounds so that the environment is protected. In this research CL values for terrestrial ecosystems are determined using the expert-modelling geoinformation system (EM GIS) approach. UNCSAM software package is used as the tool for uncertainty analysis. The analysis presented here focuses on the estimation and effect of the input source uncertainties and sensitivities on the CL values in various regions under study. In spite of the region, nitrogen uptake by vegetation, nitrogen leaching from terrestrial ecosystems and the difference between deposition and uptake by plants of base cations (BC) are the most influential factors for all terrestrial ecosystems of Russia.     

Nitrogen critical loads for natural and semi-natural ecosystems: The empirical approach

One of the major threats to the structure and the functioning of natural and semi-natural ecosystems is the recent increase in air-borne nitrogen pollution (NH_y and NO_x). Ecological effects of increased N supply are reviewed with respect to changes in vegetation and fauna in terrestrial and aquatic natural and semi-natural ecosystems. Observed and validated changes using data of field surveys, experimental studies or, of dynamic ecosystem models (the empirical approach), are used as an indication for the impacts of N deposition. Based upon these data N critical loads are set with an indication of the reliability. Critical loads are given within a range per ecosystem, because of spatial differences in ecosystems. The following groups of ecosystems have been treated: softwater lakes, wetlands & bogs, species-rich grasslands, heathlands and forests. In this paper the effects of N deposition on softwater lakes have been discussed in detail and a summary of the N critical loads for all groups of ecosystems is presented. The nitrogen critical load for the most sensitive ecosystems (softwater lakes, ombrotrophic bogs) is between 5–10 kg N ha^–1 yr^–1, whereas a more average value for the range of studied ecosystems is 15–20 kg N ha^–1 yr^–1. Finally, major gaps in knowledge with respect to N critical loads are identified.     

Critical nitrogen content and nitrogen nutrition index for sweetpotato crop

Abstract

Sweetpotato is an important tuber crop for the food security in Island countries of the South Pacific. The allometric relationship between tissue nitrogen (N) concentration and aerial dry matter is unknown. We determined critical N (N_c) content from vegetative stage to harvesting, and estimated the range of variation in N nutrition index (NNI) from two field experiments with varied rates of N (0, 25, 60, 125 and 180?kg N ha^?1 in 2015 and 0, 50, 125, 175 and 250?kg N ha^?1 in 2017). A unified critical N curve (N_c = 3.338?W^?0.307) where W?=?aerial dry matter with W?≥?1.38 t ha^?1, was constructed based on the N concentration in the aerial dry matter. The calculated NNI ranged from 0.69 to 1.23 in 2015 and 0.54 to 1.17 in 2017. The preliminary N_c dilution curve and NNI determined could potentially be used as a parameter for N management.     

绿狐尾藻湿地对养殖废水中不同污染负荷氮去除效应

为研究绿狐尾藻湿地对不同污染负荷养殖废水氮去除效应和影响因素,该研究在野外建立了9条表面流绿狐尾藻湿地,以低负荷(60 L/d废水+120 L/d清水)、中负荷(120 L/d废水+60 L/d清水/d)和高负荷(180 L/d废水)养殖废水为处理对象,研究了不同污染负荷下绿狐尾藻湿地水体氮素时间变化规律;结合线性混合模型,进一步探究了影响绿狐尾藻湿地氮去除的关键环境因子。结果表明,整个试验期间(2014-07-2015-05),绿狐尾藻湿地对低、中、高负荷废水铵氮(NH₄⁺-N)和总氮(Total Nitrogen,TN)去除率均较高,其中NH₄⁺-N平均去除率为85.0%～98.7%,TN平均去除率为83.6%～97.1%。线性混合模型分析结果表明,影响绿狐尾藻湿地NH₄⁺-N去除的关键环境因子是水体溶解氧和硝态氮以及底泥NH₄⁺-N含量,其中水体溶解氧对绿狐尾藻湿地NH₄^+<...     

Critical loads of acid deposition on Scottish soils

The impact of acid deposition, attributable to sulphur and nitrogen pollutants, on the soils of Scotland has been analysed using a critical loads approach. The critical load of a soil (as an indicator of ecological damage) is calculated from the soil parent material controlling weathering and soil development. Using existing soil survey information national maps for critical loads of acidity and the sulphur fraction are presented for soils under natural and semi-natural ecosystems. The results show that highly sensitive soils, that is those derived from quartzite and granite are limited in occurrence. However, there are large areas of sensitive soils predominantly to the north and west of the Midland Valley and in the Southern Uplands, in receipt of acid deposition in excess of their critical load. Enhanced soil acidification should be widespread in these areas and consequently the ecosystems which they support will be adversely affected. The least sensitive soils, overlying limestone or marl, are restricted in occurrence and are confined to the major deposits of marine alluvium. The results of the analysis may be used to help policy makers derive emission abatement strategies in the context of the European Sulphur protocol renewal in 1993. In Scotland the maps may be used to aid the planning of large scale afforestation.     

Critical loads for soils and waters in a selected Scottish catchment

In the UK, critical loads have been mapped for both soils and freshwaters and the maps indicate that discrepancies may occur between these two receptors over sensitive areas of the UK. Freshwater critical load maps were prepared by calculating the Henriksen critical load for the most sensitive water body in each 10 km grid square. Critical loads for soils were calculated according to the mineralogy and associated soil properties of the dominant soil at a 1 km resolution. To examine the differences between the soil and freshwater data sets it is necessary to calculate critical loads at a smaller scale using the catchment as the focus for study. This was done by selecting a catchment on granitic parent material in the North of Scotland. Data on water chemistry, collected on a weekly basis, was used to calculate temporal variations in critical loads for freshwaters using the Henriksen method. Soil sampling across the catchment was conducted on a grid based system to provide estimates of spatial variability in sensitivity. Profile characteristics and soil chemical data obtained from detailed soil sampling programmes were used in the PROFILE model to determine the spatial variation in critical loads for soils. In general, the results show that the critical loads for soils tend to be lower than those for freshwater. The spatial variation in the soil critical load tends to be small whilst the temporal variation in critical load for freshwaters is large. In order to account for these differences it is important to identify the key processes within the catchment which play a major role in controlling streamwater chemistry. This procedure improves the relationship between critical loads for soils and waters.