Nitrogen critical loads for natural and semi-natural ecosystems: The empirical approach |
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Authors: | Roland Bobbink Jan G M Roelofs |
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Institution: | 1. Department of Ecology, Researchgroup Environmental Biology, University of Nijmegen, Toernooiveld 1, 6525, ED Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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Abstract: | 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 (NHy and NOx). 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. |
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