Nitrogen deposition causes widespread loss of species richness in British habitats

Maskell, Lindsay C. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4006-7755; Smart, Simon M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2750-7832; Bullock, James M. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0529-4020; Thompson, Ken; Stevens, Carly J.. 2010 Nitrogen deposition causes widespread loss of species richness in British habitats. Global Change Biology, 16 (2). 671-679. 10.1111/j.1365-2486.2009.02022.x

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Abstract/Summary

We use national scale data to test the hypothesis that nitrogen (N) deposition is strongly negatively correlated with plant species richness in a wide range of ecosystem types. Vegetation plots from a national ecological surveillance programme were drawn from heathland, acid, calcareous and mesotrophic grassland habitats. Mean species number and mean plant traits were calculated for each plot and related to atmospheric N deposition. There was a significant reduction in species richness with N deposition in acid grassland and heathland even after fitting covarying factors. In acid grassland and heathland, evidence from trait changes suggested that acidification rather than increased fertility was responsible for species loss. In contrast, calcareous grassland showed evidence of eutrophication in response to increasing N deposition. Loss of species richness from chronic N deposition is apparent in infertile grasslands and heathland. Mechanisms associated with loss of species richness differ between habitats so mitigation of N deposition should be targeted to habitat type.

Item Type:	Publication - Article
Digital Object Identifier (DOI):	10.1111/j.1365-2486.2009.02022.x
Programmes:	CEH Topics & Objectives 2009 - 2012 > Biodiversity CEH Programmes pre-2009 publications > Biodiversity > SE01A Sustainable Monitoring and Management of Land Resources > SE01.2 Countryside Survey 2007 CEH Topics & Objectives 2009 - 2012 > Biogeochemistry CEH Programmes pre-2009 publications > Biogeochemistry > BG02 Recovery from acidification and eutrophication > BG02.1 Linking Nitrogen Deposition and Biodiversity
UKCEH and CEH Sections/Science Areas:	Parr Hails
ISSN:	1354-1013
Additional Keywords:	acid, acidification, calcareous, countryside survey, eutrophication, grassland, heathland, plant traits
NORA Subject Terms:	Ecology and Environment
Date made live:	15 Feb 2010 11:06 +0 (UTC)
URI:	https://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/6672

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