Atmospheric Nitrogen Deposition to Global Forests

Spatial Variation, Impacts, and Management Implications

1st Edition - October 22, 2023
Editors: Enzai Du, Wim de Vries
Language: English
Paperback ISBN:
9 7 8 - 0 - 3 2 3 - 9 1 1 4 0 - 5
eBook ISBN:
9 7 8 - 0 - 3 2 3 - 9 9 8 4 8 - 2

Atmospheric Nitrogen Deposition in Global Forests: Spatial Variation, Impacts, and Management Implications provides the most comprehensive knowledge on spatial variation and ecolo… Read more

Atmospheric Nitrogen Deposition to Global Forests

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Atmospheric Nitrogen Deposition in Global Forests: Spatial Variation, Impacts, and Management Implications provides the most comprehensive knowledge on spatial variation and ecological impacts of reactive nitrogen deposition in global forests, as well as forest management options to mitigate the negative impacts. Written and edited by international experts in the field, this book synthesizes recent research developments and insights in monitoring and modeling nitrogen deposition in global forests. The book also assesses ecological impacts of enhanced nitrogen deposition on forest structure and function and responses of forest ecosystems to decreasing nitrogen deposition in regions such as the European Union and North America.

Finally, the book reviews indicators and thresholds for nitrogen saturation in global forests and analyzes remediation options to reduce impacts of excess nitrogen deposition. This is an important resource for researchers in forestry and biodiversity conservation, as well as graduate students, policymakers and others who want to understand environmental issues of reactive nitrogen deposition in global forests.

Cover image
Title page
Table of Contents
Copyright
Dedication
List of contributors
About the editors
Foreword
Preface
Chapter 1. Nitrogen deposition and its impacts on forest ecosystems: A global perspective
1. Introduction
2. Monitoring and modeling spatial variation in nitrogen deposition to global forests
3. Ecological and biogeochemical impacts of enhanced nitrogen deposition
4. Responses of forest ecosystems to declining nitrogen deposition
5. Threshold nitrogen deposition levels and management options
6. Conclusions and outlook
Section 1. Monitoring and modelling spatial variation in nitrogen deposition
Chapter 2. Monitoring nitrogen deposition in global forests
1. Introduction
2. Monitoring techniques for nitrogen deposition in forests
3. Regional assessment of nitrogen deposition monitoring in forests
4. Conclusions and outlook
Chapter 3. Modeling nitrogen deposition in global forests
1. Introduction
2. Approaches and uncertainties in modeling deposition to forests
3. Calculation of global scale total nitrogen deposition
4. Conclusions and outlook
Section 2. Ecological and biogeochemical impacts of enhanced nitrogen deposition
Chapter 4. Impacts of nitrogen deposition on forest productivity and carbon sequestration
1. Introduction
2. Approaches to assess the effects of nitrogen deposition
3. Effects of nitrogen deposition on global forest productivity and carbon sequestration
4. Discussion and future research needs
5. Conclusions
Chapter 5. Context dependent effects of nitrogen deposition on forest understory plant communities
1. Introduction
2. Common effects of nitrogen deposition on the understory community
3. Context dependent effects of nitrogen deposition on the understory community
4. Evidence for context dependent effects of nitrogen deposition on understory communities
5. Nitrogen deposition and understory vegetation community feedbacks
6. Conclusions and outlook
Chapter 6. Impacts of nitrogen deposition on forest mycorrhizal communities
1. Introduction
2. Patterns of taxonomic response at different scales
3. Critical loads of nitrogen and recovery from nitrogen deposition
4. Causes and functional consequences of community change induced by nitrogen deposition
5. The way forward—recommendations for future studies
6. Conclusions
Chapter 7. Effects of nitrogen deposition on soil nitrogen transformations in forest ecosystems
1. Introduction
2. Soil nitrogen transformation processes and their controlling factors
3. The effect of nitrogen deposition on net soil nitrogen transformation
4. Effects of nitrogen deposition on gross soil nitrogen transformations and its controlling factors
5. Long-term effects of nitrogen deposition on soil nitrogen transformations
6. Conclusions and outlook
Chapter 8. Impacts of nitrogen deposition on litter and soil carbon dynamics in forests
1. Introduction
2. Impacts of nitrogen deposition on litter quality
3. Impacts of nitrogen deposition on soil microbiota and fauna
4. Effects of nitrogen deposition on enzymatic activities
5. Effects of nitrogen deposition on litter decomposition and soil respiration
6. Effects dependent on nitrogen forms and doses
7. Conclusions and outlook
Chapter 9. Impacts of nitrogen deposition on soil methane uptake in global forests
1. Introduction
2. Materials and methods
3. Results and discussion
4. Uncertainties and implications
5. Conclusions and outlook
Chapter 10. Impacts of nitrogen deposition on soil nitrous oxide emissions in global forests
1. Introduction
2. Materials and methods
3. Results and discussion
4. Uncertainties and future research needs
5. Conclusions and outlook
Section 3. Responses of forest ecosystems to regional trends in nitrogen deposition
Chapter 11. Responses of forest ecosystems to nitrogen deposition in the United Kingdom
1. Introduction
2. Long-term trends in nitrogen deposition to forest ecosystems
3. Forest soil nitrogen indicators response to nitrogen deposition
4. Tree growth and carbon sequestration response to nitrogen deposition
5. Crown condition, tree nutrition and biodiversity response to nitrogen deposition
6. Conclusions and outlook
Chapter 12. Responses of forest ecosystems to decreasing nitrogen deposition in eastern North America
1. Introduction
2. Conceptual model of forest ecosystem responses to declining nitrogen deposition
3. Soil acidification and nutrient leaching
4. Surface water nitrogen concentrations and export
5. Plant diversity
6. Soil microbial communities
7. Forest carbon and nitrogen cycling
8. Conclusions and outlook
Chapter 13. Responses of forest ecosystems in Europe to decreasing nitrogen deposition
1. Introduction
2. Soil acidification and eutrophication
3. Understory vegetation
4. Tree nutrition
5. Tree vitality
6. Tree growth
7. Conclusions and outlook
Section 4. Management implications, uncertainties and future research needs
Chapter 14. Indicators and thresholds for nitrogen saturation in forest ecosystems
1. Atmospheric nitrogen deposition and nitrogen saturation
2. Indicators and thresholds of nitrogen saturation in forest ecosystems
3. Critical loads of nitrogen deposition for biodiversity in forest ecosystems
4. Conclusions and outlook
Chapter 15. Forest remediation options in the face of excess nitrogen deposition
1. Introduction
2. Key effects of excess nitrogen deposition
3. Ecosystem responses to declining nitrogen deposition
4. Remediation of negative effects caused by excess nitrogen deposition
5. Conclusions and outlook
Chapter 16. Assessing nitrogen deposition and its impacts on forest ecosystems: Methodology, uncertainties and future research needs
1. Introduction
2. Uncertainties of methodology to assess nitrogen deposition
3. Uncertainties of approaches to evaluate the effects of nitrogen deposition
4. Conclusions and outlook
Index

Enzai Du

Enzai Du is a professor at Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University. His research interests focus on biogeochemical processes in forest ecosystems and their responses to multiple global change factors, especially nitrogen deposition, climate change, air pollution and urbanization. He has authored and co-authored 50 papers in peer-reviewed journals, including Nature Geoscience, Nature Climate Change and PNAS. Many of these papers focus on the pattern of atmospheric nitrogen deposition and its impacts on forest ecosystems. He also serves as the coordinator of IUFRO (International Union of Forest Research Organizations) research unit (8.04.03) on atmospheric deposition, soils and nutrient cycles. He has co-edited two special issues on forest ecosystems in response to global environmental change in Science of the Total Environment and Environmental Pollution. He has also coedited a book entitled “Atmospheric Reactive Nitrogen in China: Emission, Deposition and Environmental Impacts” (Springer).

Affiliations and expertise

Professor, Faculty of Geographical Science, Beijing Normal University, China

Wim de Vries

Wim de Vries is a professor at the Environmental Systems Analysis Group of Wageningen University where he holds the chair "Integrated nitrogen impact assessment”. His research is currently organized around impacts of the elevated use of nutrients (especially nitrogen and phosphorus) in agriculture on air-, soil - and water quality and related impacts on crop and forest productivity and plant species diversity. His special research interest is in the field of soil chemistry with special reference to soil acidification, nutrient cycling, greenhouse gas emissions and heavy metal pollution. He has authored and co-authored about 600 publications on the above-mentioned topics, including ca 200 publications in international peer reviewed journals. He has co-edited three special issues on Nitrogen Fluxes to Air and Water in Environmental Pollution, on Nitrogen related Greenhouse Gases in Current Opinion in Environmental Sustainability and on impacts of nitrogen deposition on forests at global scale in Environmental Pollution.

Affiliations and expertise

Professor, Environmental Systems Analysis Group, Wageningen University, The Netherlands

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