Global assessment of nitrogen deposition effects on terrestrial plant diversity: a synthesis

作者：Roland Bobbink, Kevin Hicks, James N. Galloway, T. Spranger, Rob Alkemade, M. R. Ashmore, Mercedes 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 · 发表于：Ecological Applications · 年份：2010 · DOI：10.1890/08-1140.1 · 被引用次数：2709 · 研究领域：Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics、Peatlands and Wetlands Ecology、Plant responses to elevated CO2

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...