|
|||||
|
|
Nitrogen deposition threatens species richness of grasslands across Europe |
|
| Authors: | Carly J Stevens Cecilia Duprè Cassandre Gaudnik Albert Bleeker Didier Alard David Fowler J Owen Mountford Per Arild Aarrestad Nancy B Dise |
| Institution: | a Department of Life Sciences, The Open University, Walton Hall, Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, UK b Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YQ, UK c Institute of Ecology, FB 2, University of Bremen, Leobener Str., DE-28359 Bremen, Germany d Section of Landscape Ecology, Department of Geobiology, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 80084, 3508 TB Utrecht, The Netherlands e University of Bordeaux 1. UMR INRA 1202 Biodiversity, Genes and Communities, Equipe Ecologie des Communautés, Bâtiment B8 - Avenue des Facultés, F-33405 Talence, France f Department of Air Quality & Climate Change, Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands, P.O. Box 1, 1755 ZG Petten, The Netherlands g B-WARE Research Centre, Radboud University, P.O. Box 9010, 6525 ED Nijmegen, The Netherlands h NERC Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik, Midlothian EH26 0QB, UK i NERC Centre for Ecology & Hydrology, MacLean Building, Benson Lane, Crowmarsh Gifford, Wallingford, Oxfordshire OX10 8BB, UK j Department of Biology, University of Bergen, Box 7800, N-5020 Bergen, Norway k Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, NO-7485 Trondheim, Norway l Laboratoire des Interactions Ecotoxicologie, Biodiversité et Ecosystèmes (LIEBE), UMR CNRS 7146, U.F.R. Sci. F.A., Campus Bridoux, Université Paul Verlaine, Avenue du Général Delestraint, F-57070 Metz, France m Department of Environmental and Geographical Science, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester M1 5GD, UK |
| Abstract: | Evidence from an international survey in the Atlantic biogeographic region of Europe indicates that chronic nitrogen deposition is reducing plant species richness in acid grasslands. Across the deposition gradient in this region (2-44 kg N ha−1 yr−1) species richness showed a curvilinear response, with greatest reductions in species richness when deposition increased from low levels. This has important implications for conservation policies, suggesting that to protect the most sensitive grasslands resources should be focussed where deposition is currently low. Soil pH is also an important driver of species richness indicating that the acidifying effect of nitrogen deposition may be contributing to species richness reductions. The results of this survey suggest that the impacts of nitrogen deposition can be observed over a large geographical range. |
| Keywords: | Acid grasslands Acidification Atmospheric nitrogen deposition Soil pH Species richness |
| 本文献已被 ScienceDirect 等数据库收录！ | |