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Effects of Nitrogen Deposition on Greenhouse-Gas Fluxes for Forests and Grasslands of North America
Citation:
Templer, P., R. Pinder, AND C. Goodale. Effects of Nitrogen Deposition on Greenhouse-Gas Fluxes for Forests and Grasslands of North America. FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND THE ENVIRONMENT. Ecological Society of America, Ithaca, NY, 10(10):547-553, (2012).
Impact/Purpose:
The National Exposure Research Laboratory′s (NERL′s) Atmospheric Modeling and Analysis Division (AMAD) conducts research in support of EPA′s mission to protect human health and the environment. AMAD′s research program is engaged in developing and evaluating predictive atmospheric models on all spatial and temporal scales for forecasting the Nation′s air quality and for assessing changes in air quality and air pollutant exposures, as affected by changes in ecosystem management and regulatory decisions. AMAD is responsible for providing a sound scientific and technical basis for regulatory policies based on air quality models to improve ambient air quality. The models developed by AMAD are being used by EPA, NOAA, and the air pollution community in understanding and forecasting not only the magnitude of the air pollution problem, but also in developing emission control policies and regulations for air quality improvements.
Description:
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 (O3) and by chronically high N deposition. In this review, we discuss spatial patterns and effects of N deposition and tropospheric ozone 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 oxides (NOx) emissions within the US will likley lead to reductions in total N deposition and O3. 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.
URLs/Downloads:
FINAL FINAL ORD-000154.PDF (PDF, NA pp, 4307.497 KB, about PDF)Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment
