Ecosystem responses to reduced and oxidised nitrogen inputs in European terrestrial habitats
Open accessAbstract
While it is well established that ecosystems display strong responses to elevated nitrogen deposition, the importance of the ratio between the dominant forms of deposited nitrogen (NH(x) and NO(y)) in determining ecosystem response is poorly understood. As large changes in the ratio of oxidised and reduced nitrogen inputs are occurring, this oversight requires attention. One reason for this knowledge gap is that plants experience a different NH(x):NO(y) ratio in soil to that seen in atmospheric deposits because atmospheric inputs are modified by soil transformations, mediated by soil pH. Consequently species of neutral and alkaline habitats are less likely to encounter high NH(4)(+) concentrations than species from acid soils. We suggest that the response of vascular plant species to changing ratios of NH(x):NO(y) deposits will be driven primarily by a combination of soil pH and nitrification rates. Testing this hypothesis requires a combination of experimental and survey work in a range of systems.
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Nitrogen in reactive form (NO3, NH4) is one of the essential minerals necessary for almost all plant growth.
“Nitrogen in reactive form (NO3, NH4) is one of the essential minerals necessary for almost all plant growth [1].”
From Can Plants Grow on Mars and the Moon: A Growth Experiment on Mars and Moon Soil Simulants (2014) · cites this paper as [1]
The major source of reactive nitrogen on Earth is the mineralisation of organic matter.
“The major source of reactive nitrogen on Earth is the mineralisation of organic matter [1].”
From Can Plants Grow on Mars and the Moon: A Growth Experiment on Mars and Moon Soil Simulants (2014) · cites this paper as [1]
The Introduction (p. 2) lists ways reactive nitrogen naturally enters ecosystems, but does not identify the largest source of reactive nitrogen on Earth. Section 3.2 (p. 5) discusses mineralisation as a soil process without making that global comparison. Searches for mineralisation as the major or largest global source found no supporting passage. (LLM, conf=0.73)
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Functional- and abundance-based mechanisms explain diversity loss due to N fertilization
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Can Plants Grow on Mars and the Moon: A Growth Experiment on Mars and Moon Soil Simulants
Wamelink, G. W. W., Frissel, J. Y., Krijnen, W. H. J., Verwoert, M. R., & Goedhart, P. W. (2014) · PLoS ONE · doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0103138 · Cited by 201 · see citing works
Self-citation
- Authors
- Stevens, C. J., Manning, P., van den Berg, L. J. L., de Graaf, M. C. C., Wamelink, G. W. W., Boxman, A. W., Bleeker, A., Vergeer, P., Arroniz-Crespo, M., Limpens, J., Lamers, L. P. M., Bobbink, R., & Dorland, E.
- Affiliations
- The Open University (GB)
- Radboud University Nijmegen (NL)
- Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands (NL)
- Wageningen University & Research (NL)
- KWR Water Research Institute (NL)
- Corresponding author
- Stevens, Carly J.
- ORCID
- Venue
- Environmental Pollution
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2011-03
- Volume
- 159
- Issue
- 3
- Pages
- 665-676
- ISSN
- 0269-7491 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2139895310
- Cited by
- 164
- References
- 1
- Citations by year
- 2026: 8 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 9 · 2022: 8 · 2021: 11 · 2020: 15 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 8 · 2017: 11 · 2016: 13 · 2015: 12 · 2014: 12 · 2013: 14 · 2012: 13
- FWCI
- 2.49
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- green
- research.wur.nl
- Locations
- Environmental Pollution (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Socio-Environmental Systems Modeling (acceptedVersion)
- Open Research Online - ORO (The Open University) (acceptedVersion)
- TNO Repository (submittedVersion)
- Lancaster EPrints (Lancaster University) (submittedVersion)
- Radboud Repository (Radboud University) (submittedVersion)
- Repository hosted by TU Delft Library (TU Delft) (submittedVersion)
- Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion, other-oa)
- Data Archiving and Networked Services (DANS) (submittedVersion)
- Newcastle University ePrints (Newcastle Univesity)
- Funders
- Natural Environment Research Council (NE/E00413X/1, CEH010010)
- Topics
- Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Soil Science › Soil Carbon and Nitrogen Dynamics
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Nature and Landscape Conservation › Ecology and Vegetation Dynamics Studies
- Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Environmental Chemistry › Soil and Water Nutrient Dynamics
- Keywords
- nitrogen deposition, oxidized nitrogen, reduced nitrogen, ammonium, nitrate, soil pH, nitrification, soil nitrogen transformation, vascular plants, acid soils, terrestrial ecosystems
- MeSH terms
- Europe, Nitrogen, Nitrogen Oxides, Oxidation-Reduction, Plants, Soil Pollutants, Nitrogen Compounds, Ecosystem, Environmental Restoration and Remediation
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