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The impact of nitrogen deposition on acid grasslands in the Atlantic region of Europe
2011
Stevens, Carly J. | Dupre, Cecilia | Dorland, Edu | Gaudnik, Cassandre | Gowing, David J.G. | Bleeker, Albert | Diekmann, Martin | Alard, Didier | Bobbink, Roland | Fowler, David | Corcket, Emmanuel | Mountford, J. Owen | Vandvik, Vigdis | Aarrestad, Per Arild | Muller, Serge | Dise, Nancy B. | Open University | Lancaster Environment Centre ; Lancaster University | University of Bremen | Universiteit Utrecht / Utrecht University [Utrecht] | Biodiversité, Gènes & Communautés (BioGeCo) ; Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA)-Université de Bordeaux (UB) | Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands (ECN) | Radboud University [Nijmegen] | Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) | Department of Biology ; University of Washington [Seattle] | Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA) | Université Paul Verlaine - Metz (UPVM) | Manchester Metropolitan University (MMU) | European Science Foundation; DfG (Germany); NERC (United Kingdom); NWO (The Netherlands); INRA; ADEME; Aquitaine Region (France)
International audience | A survey of 153 acid grasslands from the Atlantic biogeographic region of Europe indicates that chronic nitrogen deposition is changing plant species composition and soil and plant-tissue chemistry. Across the deposition gradient (2–44 kg N ha−1 yr−1) grass richness as a proportion of total species richness increased whereas forb richness decreased. Soil C:N ratio increased, but soil extractable nitrate and ammonium concentrations did not show any relationship with nitrogen deposition. The above-ground tissue nitrogen contents of three plant species were examined: Agrostis capillaris (grass), Galium saxatile (forb) and Rhytidiadelphus squarrosus (bryophyte). The tissue nitrogen content of neither vascular plant species showed any relationship with nitrogen deposition, but there was a weak positive relationship between R. squarrosus nitrogen content and nitrogen deposition. None of the species showed strong relationships between above-ground tissue N:P or C:N and nitrogen deposition, indicating that they are not good indicators of deposition rate.
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