3 results
15 - Geographical variation in terrestrial nitrogen budgets across Europe
- from Part III - Nitrogen flows and fate at multiple spatial scales
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- By Wim de Vries, Wageningen University and Research Centre, Adrian Leip, European Commission Joint Research Centre, Gert Jan Reinds, Wageningen University and Research Centre Alterra, Johannes Kros, Alterra, Wageningen University and Research Centre, Jan Peter Lesschen, Wageningen University and Research Centre, Alexander F. Bouwman, Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency, Bruna Grizzetti, European Commission Joint Research Centre, Fayçal Bouraoui, European Commission Joint Research Centre, Klaus Butterbach-Bahl, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Peter Bergamaschi, European Commission Joint Research Centre, Wilfried Winiwarter, International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis
- Edited by Mark A. Sutton, NERC Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, UK, Clare M. Howard, NERC Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, UK, Jan Willem Erisman, Gilles Billen, Albert Bleeker, Peringe Grennfelt, Hans van Grinsven, Bruna Grizzetti
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- Book:
- The European Nitrogen Assessment
- Published online:
- 16 May 2011
- Print publication:
- 14 April 2011, pp 317-344
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- Chapter
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Summary
Executive summary
Nature of the problem
Nitrogen (N) budgets of agricultural systems give important information for assessing the impact of N inputs on the environment, and identify levers for action.
Approaches
N budgets of agro-ecosystems in the 27 EU countries are established for the year 2000, considering N inputs by fertiliser application, manure excretion, atmospheric deposition and crop fixation, and N outputs by plant uptake, gaseous emissions, mineralisation, leaching and runoff.
Country N budgets for agro-ecosystems are based on the models INTEGRATOR, IDEAg, MITERRA and IMAGE. Fine geographic distribution is depicted with the former two models, which have higher spatial resolution. INTEGRATOR is the only available model for calculating non-agricultural terrestrial N budgets systems.
Key findings/state of knowledge
For EU-27, the models estimate a comparable total N input in European agriculture, i.e. 23.3–25.7 Mton N yr−1, but N uptake varies largely from 11.3–15.4 Mton N yr−1, leading to total N surpluses varying from 10.4–13.2 Mton N yr−1. Despite this variation, the overall difference at EU-27 is small for the emissions of NH3 (2.8–3.1 Mton N yr−1) and N2O (0.33–0.43 Mton N yr−1) but estimates vary largely at a regional scale. The estimated sum of N leaching and runoff at EU-27 is roughly equal to the sum of NH3, N2O and NOx emissions to the atmosphere, but estimates vary by a factor two, from 2.7 to 6.3 Mton N yr−1.
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11 - Nitrogen flows and fate in rural landscapes
- from Part III - Nitrogen flows and fate at multiple spatial scales
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- By Pierre Cellier, INRA, France, Patrick Durand, INRA, France, Nick Hutchings, University of Aarhus, Ulli Dragosits, Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Mark Theobald, Technical University of Madrid/Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Jean-Louis Drouet, INRA, France, Oene Oenema, Wageningen University and Research Centre, Albert Bleeker, Energy Research Centre of the Netherlands, Lutz Breuer, Institute for Landscape Ecology and Resources Management, Tommy Dalgaard, Aarhus University, Sylvia Duretz, INRA, France, Johannes Kros, Alterra, Wageningen University and Research Centre, Benjamin Loubet, UMR Environm & Grandes Cultures, Joergen Eivind Olesen, Aarhus University Department of Agroecology and Environment, Philippe Mérot, INRA, France, Valérie Viaud, INRA, France, Wim de Vries, Wageningen University and Research Centre, Mark A. Sutton, Centre for Ecology and Hydrology
- Edited by Mark A. Sutton, NERC Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, UK, Clare M. Howard, NERC Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, UK, Jan Willem Erisman, Gilles Billen, Albert Bleeker, Peringe Grennfelt, Hans van Grinsven, Bruna Grizzetti
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- Book:
- The European Nitrogen Assessment
- Published online:
- 16 May 2011
- Print publication:
- 14 April 2011, pp 229-248
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- Chapter
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Summary
Executive summary
Nature of the problem
The transfer of nitrogen by either farm management activities or natural processes (through the atmosphere and the hydrological network) can feed into the N cascade and lead to indirect and unexpected reactive nitrogen emissions.
This transfer can lead to large N deposition rates and impacts to sensitive ecosystems. It can also promote further N2O emission in areas where conditions are more favourable for denitrification.
In rural landscapes, the relevant scale is the scale where N is managed by farm activities and where environmental measures are applied.
Approaches
Mitigating nitrogen at landscape scale requires consideration of the interactions between natural and anthropogenic (i.e. farm management) processes.
Owing to the complex nature and spatial extent of rural landscapes, experimental assessments of reactive N flows at this scale are difficult and often incomplete. It should include measurement of N flows in the different compartments of the environment and comprehensive datasets on the environment (soils, hydrology, land use, etc.) and on farm management.
Modelling is the preferred tool to investigate the complex relationships between anthropogenic and natural processes at landscape scale although verification by measurements is required. Up to now, no model includes all the components of landscape scale N flows: farm functioning, short range atmospheric transfer, hydrology and ecosystem modelling.
21 - Nitrogen as a threat to European soil quality
- from Part IV - Managing nitrogen in relation to key societal threats
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- By Gerard Velthof, Wageningen University and Research Centre, Sébastien Barot, IRD-Bioemco, Jaap Bloem, Alterra Wageningen University and Research Centre, Klaus Butterbach-Bahl, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Wim de Vries, Wageningen University and Research Centre, Johannes Kros, Alterra, Wageningen University and Research Centre, Patrick Lavelle, INRA, Colombia, Jørgen Eivind Olesen, Aarhus University Department of Agroecology and Environment, Oene Oenema, Wageningen University and Research Centre
- Edited by Mark A. Sutton, NERC Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, UK, Clare M. Howard, NERC Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, UK, Jan Willem Erisman, Gilles Billen, Albert Bleeker, Peringe Grennfelt, Hans van Grinsven, Bruna Grizzetti
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- Book:
- The European Nitrogen Assessment
- Published online:
- 16 May 2011
- Print publication:
- 14 April 2011, pp 495-510
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- Chapter
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Summary
Executive summary
Nature of the problem
A large part of agricultural soils in Europe are exposed to high N inputs because of animal manure and chemical fertiliser use. Large parts of the European natural soils are exposed to high atmospheric N deposition.
High N inputs threaten soil quality, which may negatively affect food and biomass production and biodiversity and enhance emissions of harmful N compounds from soils to water and the atmosphere.
Approaches
An overview of the major soil functions and soil threats are presented, including a description of the objectives of the European Soil Strategy.
The major N threats on soil quality for both agricultural and natural soils are related to changes in soil organic content and quality, soil acidification, and loss of soil diversity. These threats are described using literature.
Key findings/state of knowledge
Generally, N has a positive effect on soil quality of agricultural soils, because it enhances soil fertility and conditions for crop growth. However, it generally has a negative effect on soil quality of natural soils, because it results in changes in plant diversity.
Soil acts as a filter and buffer for N, and protects water and atmosphere against N pollution. However, the filter and buffer capacity of soils is frequently exceeded by excess of N in both agricultural and natural soils, which results in emission of N to the environment.
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