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Effects of nitrogen deposition on greenhouse‐gas fluxes for forests and grasslands of North America
Author(s) -
Templer Pamela H,
Pinder Robert W,
Goodale Christine L
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
frontiers in ecology and the environment
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.918
H-Index - 164
eISSN - 1540-9309
pISSN - 1540-9295
DOI - 10.1890/120055
Subject(s) - deposition (geology) , environmental science , ecosystem , greenhouse gas , terrestrial ecosystem , grassland , nitrogen , carbon sequestration , reactive nitrogen , nitrous oxide , environmental chemistry , tropospheric ozone , troposphere , atmospheric sciences , ecology , chemistry , geology , biology , paleontology , organic chemistry , sediment
Human activities have substantially elevated the atmospheric deposition of reactive nitrogen (N) onto terrestrial ecosystems of North America. Some of this N can stimulate carbon (C) storage in terrestrial ecosystems, but the fertilization effect of added N can be diminished by elevated concentrations of tropospheric ozone (O 3 ) and by chronically high N deposition. In this review, we discuss spatial patterns and effects of N deposition and tropospheric O 3 on net greenhouse‐gas fluxes in North American forest and grassland ecosystems. While projected rates of ammonia emissions and deposition are expected to remain unchanged, projected declines in nitrogen oxide (NO x ) emissions within the US will likely lead to reductions in total N deposition and O 3 . The net effect of these changes in N deposition onto forests and grasslands will likely initiate declines in C sequestration attributed to N deposition over the next 40 years.