Empirical and simulated critical loads for nitrogen deposition in California mixed conifer forests

M. E. Fenn; S. Jovan; F. Yuan; L. Geiser; T. Meixner; B. S. Gimeno

doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2008.03.019

Empirical and simulated critical loads for nitrogen deposition in California mixed conifer forests

M. E. Fenn, S. Jovan, F. Yuan, L. Geiser, T. Meixner, B. S. Gimeno

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

123 Scopus citations

Abstract

Empirical critical loads (CL) for N deposition were determined from changes in epiphytic lichen communities, elevated NO₃^- leaching in streamwater, and reduced fine root biomass in ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex Laws.) at sites with varying N deposition. The CL for lichen community impacts of 3.1 kg ha^-1 year^-1 is expected to protect all components of the forest ecosystem from the adverse effects of N deposition. Much of the western Sierra Nevada is above the lichen-based CL, showing significant changes in lichen indicator groups. The empirical N deposition threshold and that simulated by the DayCent model for enhanced NO₃^-leaching were 17 kg N ha^-1 year^-1. DayCent estimated that elevated NO₃^- leaching in the San Bernardino Mountains began in the late 1950s. Critical values for litter C:N (34.1), ponderosa pine foliar N (1.1%), and N concentrations (1.0%) in the lichen Letharia vulpina ((L.) Hue) are indicative of CL exceedance.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	492-511
Number of pages	20
Journal	Environmental Pollution
Volume	155
Issue number	3
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2008.03.019
State	Published - Oct 2008
Externally published	Yes

Funding

We thank Susan Schilling for the map figure and Drew Farr and Tony Davila for invaluable assistance with streamwater sampling. The US Forest Service-Pacific Northwest Research Station of the Forest Inventory and Analysis Program, and US Forest Service-Pacific Northwest Region Air Resource Management Program provided funding for data analysis of and access to lichen data. We thank Jon Williams (Forest Inventory and Analysis Program, Alaska Forestry Sciences Lab) for help producing graphics and tables and Shanti Berryman and Peter Neitlich for insightful reviews. Benjamin S. Gimeno was funded by a grant from the State Secretary for Universities and Research of the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science. This research was funded in part by a National Science Foundation grant (NSF DEB 04-21530).

Keywords

Atmospheric deposition
Biomonitoring
Ecosystem protection
Epiphytic lichens
Harmful effects
Nitrogen saturation

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10.1016/j.envpol.2008.03.019

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title = "Empirical and simulated critical loads for nitrogen deposition in California mixed conifer forests",

abstract = "Empirical critical loads (CL) for N deposition were determined from changes in epiphytic lichen communities, elevated NO3- leaching in streamwater, and reduced fine root biomass in ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex Laws.) at sites with varying N deposition. The CL for lichen community impacts of 3.1 kg ha-1 year-1 is expected to protect all components of the forest ecosystem from the adverse effects of N deposition. Much of the western Sierra Nevada is above the lichen-based CL, showing significant changes in lichen indicator groups. The empirical N deposition threshold and that simulated by the DayCent model for enhanced NO3-leaching were 17 kg N ha-1 year-1. DayCent estimated that elevated NO3- leaching in the San Bernardino Mountains began in the late 1950s. Critical values for litter C:N (34.1), ponderosa pine foliar N (1.1%), and N concentrations (1.0%) in the lichen Letharia vulpina ((L.) Hue) are indicative of CL exceedance.",

keywords = "Atmospheric deposition, Biomonitoring, Ecosystem protection, Epiphytic lichens, Harmful effects, Nitrogen saturation",

author = "Fenn, {M. E.} and S. Jovan and F. Yuan and L. Geiser and T. Meixner and Gimeno, {B. S.}",

year = "2008",

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doi = "10.1016/j.envpol.2008.03.019",

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T1 - Empirical and simulated critical loads for nitrogen deposition in California mixed conifer forests

AU - Fenn, M. E.

AU - Jovan, S.

AU - Yuan, F.

AU - Geiser, L.

AU - Meixner, T.

AU - Gimeno, B. S.

PY - 2008/10

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N2 - Empirical critical loads (CL) for N deposition were determined from changes in epiphytic lichen communities, elevated NO3- leaching in streamwater, and reduced fine root biomass in ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex Laws.) at sites with varying N deposition. The CL for lichen community impacts of 3.1 kg ha-1 year-1 is expected to protect all components of the forest ecosystem from the adverse effects of N deposition. Much of the western Sierra Nevada is above the lichen-based CL, showing significant changes in lichen indicator groups. The empirical N deposition threshold and that simulated by the DayCent model for enhanced NO3-leaching were 17 kg N ha-1 year-1. DayCent estimated that elevated NO3- leaching in the San Bernardino Mountains began in the late 1950s. Critical values for litter C:N (34.1), ponderosa pine foliar N (1.1%), and N concentrations (1.0%) in the lichen Letharia vulpina ((L.) Hue) are indicative of CL exceedance.

AB - Empirical critical loads (CL) for N deposition were determined from changes in epiphytic lichen communities, elevated NO3- leaching in streamwater, and reduced fine root biomass in ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex Laws.) at sites with varying N deposition. The CL for lichen community impacts of 3.1 kg ha-1 year-1 is expected to protect all components of the forest ecosystem from the adverse effects of N deposition. Much of the western Sierra Nevada is above the lichen-based CL, showing significant changes in lichen indicator groups. The empirical N deposition threshold and that simulated by the DayCent model for enhanced NO3-leaching were 17 kg N ha-1 year-1. DayCent estimated that elevated NO3- leaching in the San Bernardino Mountains began in the late 1950s. Critical values for litter C:N (34.1), ponderosa pine foliar N (1.1%), and N concentrations (1.0%) in the lichen Letharia vulpina ((L.) Hue) are indicative of CL exceedance.

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KW - Biomonitoring

KW - Ecosystem protection

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KW - Harmful effects

KW - Nitrogen saturation

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Empirical and simulated critical loads for nitrogen deposition in California mixed conifer forests

Abstract

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