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Uncertainties in the relationship between atmospheric nitrogen deposition and forest carbon sequestration
Author(s) -
SUTTON MARK A.,
SIMPSON DAVID,
LEVY PETER E.,
SMITH ROGNVALD I.,
REIS STEFAN,
Van OIJEN MARCEL,
De VRIES WIM
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
global change biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.146
H-Index - 255
eISSN - 1365-2486
pISSN - 1354-1013
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2486.2008.01636.x
Subject(s) - atmospheric sciences , deposition (geology) , nitrogen , environmental science , carbon sequestration , productivity , carbon fibers , ecosystem , covariance , forestry , climatology , mathematics , ecology , geography , chemistry , statistics , physics , biology , geology , paleontology , macroeconomics , organic chemistry , sediment , economics , algorithm , composite number
In a recent study, Magnani et al. report how atmospheric nitrogen deposition drives stand‐lifetime net ecosystem productivity (NEP av ) for midlatitude forests, with an extremely high C to N response (725 kg C kg −1 wet‐deposited N for their European sites). We present here a re‐analysis of these data, which suggests a much smaller C : N response for total N inputs. Accounting for dry, as well as wet N deposition reduces the C : N response to 177 : 1. However, if covariance with intersite climatological differences is accounted for, the actual C : N response in this dataset may be <70 : 1. We then use a model analysis of 22 European forest stands to simulate the findings of Magnani et al. Multisite regression of simulated NEP av vs. total N deposition reproduces a high C : N response (149 : 1). However, once the effects of intersite climatological differences are accounted for, the value is again found to be much smaller, pointing to a real C : N response of about 50–75 : 1.