Atmospheric nitrogen deposition in Spain and risk assessment of effects in terrestrial habitats within the National Park Network
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García-Gómez, H., González-Fernández, I., Vivanco, M.G., Calvete-Sogo, H., Bermejo-Bermejo, V., Valiño, F., Rábago, I., Alonso, R. 2017. Atmospheric nitrogen deposition in Spain and risk assessment of effects in terrestrial habitats within the National Park Network. Ecosistemas 26(1): 55-65. Doi.: 10.7818/ECOS.2017.26-1.08
The alteration of the nitrogen (N) biogeochemical cycle is part of the anthropogenic global change and causes an excess of N compounds in the atmosphere which are eventually deposited on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. The Mediterranean basin presents an extraordinary biological richness, but there is little information available about the threat that this atmospheric N deposition may represent to biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. This study represents a first attempt to assess the risk of N deposition effects in terrestrial ecosystems within the National Park Network. Total (wet + dry) atmospheric N deposition in 2008 reached maxima values of 19.4 and 23.0 kg N ha-1 year-1 using EMEP and CHIMERE models respectively. Modelled total atmospheric N deposition was used to estimate the exceedances of the empirical N critical loads in the protected habitats within the Spanish National Park Network. This risk assessment pointed out that biodiversity conservation in high-altitude National Parks could be endangered by eutrophication. The habitats most threatened by N deposition were the natural grasslands. Other particularly threatened habitats were some of the medium- and high-altitude scrublands and heathlands. These results indicate the need to extend atmospheric deposition monitoring networks to higher altitudes in Spain.