Development of a nitrophobe/nitrophile classification for sand dunes

Jones, Laurence ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4379-9006; Stevens, Carly. 2017 Development of a nitrophobe/nitrophile classification for sand dunes. Stirling, Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), 22pp. (SEPA Commissioned Report no. DK1605, CEH Project no. C06197) (Unpublished)

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Abstract/Summary

Both dry dune habitats and wet dune slack communities of sand dunes are known to be sensitive to N deposition. However, despite their biological importance, they are not currently covered within the nitrophobe/nitrophile assessment methodology. This study aimed to develop indicators for sand dune communities. We developed lists of nitrophile indicator species, focusing on those above a threshold Ellenberg N value, defined in relation to the 80th percentile Ellenberg N of component NVC communities. Species lists were extracted from the NVC manual for dune habitats. The method differs slightly from that in Pitcairn et al. (2006) who developed both nitrophile and nitrophobe indicators. In the approach taken here it was decided not to include nitrophobe species, but to focus on nitrophiles expected to increase with eutrophication. The index for any quadrat of plant data is calculated as the sum of percentage cover of listed nitrophile indicator species for the relevant dune habitat type. UK-wide data were used to develop and test the indicators. This approach is generalizable to any situation in which the dune species have Ellenberg indicator values defined (i.e. primarily temperate Europe). Local benchmarking of indicator values against N deposition would be required to develop absolute values for the metrics in a new situation. Testing of the indicators against survey data showed a high degree of scatter in individual quadrats, but site means showed broadly positive relationships with N deposition. Testing of the dune slack indicator against an N-gradient in groundwater at a single site also showed some promise. However, this initial testing is based on limited datasets. We recommend more extensive testing of the indicators against wider datasets, and to consider including terricolous lichens as a component of the indicator in the acidic dune grasslands habitat

Item Type:	Publication - Report
UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:	Soils and Land Use (Science Area 2017-)
Funders/Sponsors:	Scottish Environment Protection Agency
Additional Information. Not used in RCUK Gateway to Research.:	For further information on this report please contact Claire Campbell SEPA Corporate Office, Stirling. Telephone 01786452448. E-mail Claire.campbell@sepa.org.uk
NORA Subject Terms:	Ecology and Environment Atmospheric Sciences
Date made live:	11 Jul 2019 14:09 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/524095

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