The potential for spatial planning at the landscape level to mitigate the effects of atmospheric ammonia deposition

Dragosits, U. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9283-6467; Theobald, M. R.; Place, C. J.; ApSimon, H. M.; Sutton, M. A. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6263-6341. 2006 The potential for spatial planning at the landscape level to mitigate the effects of atmospheric ammonia deposition. Environmental Science & Policy, 9. 626-638. 10.1016/j.envsci.2006.07.002

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2006.07.002

Abstract/Summary

Ammonia (NH3) is emitted mainly from agricultural practices, with NH3 concentrations decreasing rapidly away from sources. As a consequence there is a high spatial variability in nitrogen deposition and its consequent ecological effects in agricultural landscapes that is in addition to differences in sensitivity between habitat types. This variability points to the potential to include spatial planning measures as part of strategies to protect sensitive vegetation from ammonia deposition. National abatement policies typically include uniform recommendations for technical abatement measures, such as ploughing in manures after land spreading. In this study, the complementary potential of spatial planning to reduce effects on target locations is analysed through model scenarios for an example landscape in central England. Scenarios included defining buffer zones of low-emission agriculture and establishing tree belts surrounding either emission sources or priority areas for the protection of semi-natural habitats. The analysis showed that tree belts can reduce deposition to sensitive areas, with trees surrounding the sensitive habitats being more effective than trees around the sources. Low emission buffer zones around sink areas also result in useful reductions in N deposition. Smaller nature reserve sites benefit to a greater degree from such spatial planning measures, as large reserves can provide their own buffer zone to some degree. Similarly, relocating point sources or using planning policies to ensure the location of large NH3 point sources are at least 2–3 km from the sensitive habitats results in substantial reductions in N deposition.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	10.1016/j.envsci.2006.07.002
Programmes:	CEH Programmes pre-2009 publications > Biogeochemistry
UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:	_ Atmospheric Sciences
ISSN:	1462-9011
Additional Keywords:	critical loads, exceedance, pollution abatement, agricultural emissions, nature protection
NORA Subject Terms:	Ecology and Environment Atmospheric Sciences
Date made live:	29 Apr 2008 09:05 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/2827

Item Type:

Publication - Article

Digital Object Identifier (DOI):

10.1016/j.envsci.2006.07.002

Programmes:

CEH Programmes pre-2009 publications > Biogeochemistry

UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:

_ Atmospheric Sciences

ISSN:

1462-9011

Additional Keywords:

critical loads, exceedance, pollution abatement, agricultural emissions, nature protection