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Here we investigate the response of soils and litter to 5 years of experimental additions of ammonium (NH4), nitrate (NO3), and ammonia (NH3) to an ombrotrophic peatland. We test the importance of direct (via soil) and indirect (via litter) effects on phosphatase activity and efflux of CO2. We also determined how species representing different functional types responded to the nitrogen treatments. Our results demonstrate that additions of NO3, NH4 and NH3 all stimulated phosphatase activity but the effects were dependent on species of litter and mechanism (direct or indirect). Deposition of NH3 had no effect on efflux of CO2 from Calluna vulgaris litter, despite it showing signs of stress in the field, whereas both NO3 and NH4 reduced CO2 fluxes. Our results show that the collective impacts on peatlands of the three principal forms of nitrogen in atmospheric deposition are a result of differential effects and mechanisms on individual components., (Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Effects and implications of reduced and oxidised N, applied under 'real world' conditions, since May 2002, are reported for Calluna growing on an ombrotrophic bog. Ammonia has been released from a 10 m line source generating monthly concentrations of 180-6 microg m(-3), while ammonium chloride and sodium nitrate are applied in rainwater at nitrate and ammonium concentrations below 4mM and providing up to 56 kg N ha(-1) year(-1) above a background deposition of 10 kg N ha(-1) year(-1). Ammonia concentrations, >8 microg m(-3) have significantly enhanced foliar N concentrations, increased sensitivity to drought, frost and winter desiccation, spring frost damage and increased the incidence of pathogen outbreaks. The mature Calluna bushes nearest the NH3 source have turned bleached and moribund. By comparison the Calluna receiving reduced and oxidised N in rain has shown no significant visible or stress related effects with no significant increase in N status.

The effects of 4 years of simulated nitrogen deposition, as nitrate (NO3−) and ammonium (NH4+), on microbial carbon turnover were studied in an ombrotrophic peatland. We investigated the mineralization of simple forms of carbon using MicroResp™ measurements (a multiple substrate induced respiration technique) and the activities of four soil enzymes involved in the decomposition of more complex forms of carbon or in nutrient acquisition: N-acetyl-glucosaminidase (NAG), cellobiohydrolase (CBH), acid phosphatase (AP), and phenol oxidase (PO). The potential mineralization of labile forms of carbon was significantly enhanced at the higher N additions, especially with NH4+ amendments, while potential enzyme activities involved in breakdown of more complex forms of carbon or nutrient acquisition decreased slightly (NAG and CBH) or remained unchanged (AP and PO) with N amendments. This study also showed the importance of distinguishing between NO3− and NH4+ amendments, as their impact often differed. It is possible that the limited response on potential extracellular enzyme activity is due to other factors, such as limited exposure to the added N in the deeper soil or continued suboptimal functioning of the enzymes due to the low pH, possibly via the inhibitory effect of low phenol oxidase activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Providing an accurate estimate of the dry component of N deposition to low N background, semi-natural habitats, such as bogs and upland moors dominated byCalluna vulgarisis difficult, but essential to relate nitrogen deposition to effects in these communities. To quantify the effects of NH3 inputs to moorland vegetation growing on a bog at a field scale, a field release NH3 fumigation system was established at Whim Moss (Scottish Borders) in 2002. Gaseous NH3 from a line source was released along of a 60 m transect, when meteorological conditions (wind speed>2.5 m s-1 and wind direction in the sector 180-215°) were met, thereby providing a profile of decreasing NH3 concentration with distance from the source. In a complementary study, using a NH3 flux chamber system, the relationships between NH3 concentrations and cuticular resistances were quantified for a range of NH3 concentrations and micrometeorological conditions for moorland vegetation. Cuticular resistances increased with NH3 concentration from 11 s m-1 at 3.0µg m-3 to 30 s m-1 at 30µg m-3. The NH3 concentration data and the concentration-dependent canopy resistance are used to calculate NH3 deposition taking into account leaf surface wetness. The implications of using an NH3 concentration-dependent cuticular resistance and the importance for refining critical loads are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]