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The Auchencorth Moss atmospheric observatory has being measuring meteorological parameters since 1995. The site was originally set‐up to measure the deposition of sulphur dioxide at a site that represented the vegetation and climate typical of NW Europe, in relatively clean background air. It is one of the longest running flux monitoring sites in the region, over semi‐natural vegetation, providing infrastructure and support for many measurement campaigns and continuous monitoring of air pollutants and greenhouse gases. The meteorological sensors that are used, data processing and quality reviewing procedures are described for a set of core measurements up to 2016. These core measurements are essential for the interpretation of the other atmospheric variables.

Peatlands represent significant carbon (C) reserves accumulated over millennia, as a consequence of slow decomposition rates conditioned by the acidity and anoxia that define these ecosystems. Such conditions are maintained largely through climate but also the activities of peatland ‘engineers’, vegetation such as Sphagnum mosses. Peatlands are hugely valued for C sequestration and the distinct communities they support. However, increased nitrogen (N) availability, from anthropogenic deposition, has been linked to detrimental changes in the vitality of Sphagnum and species active in perpetuating peatland processes. The effects of manipulating the form and dose of N to an ombrotrophic peatland, Whim bog in the Scottish Borders, UK, have been studied since 2002. Ammonia is provided by free air release, in response to wind direction and wind speed, and wet deposition, comprising nitrate or ammonium, in response to rainfall. Manipulation has increased the background deposition of 8 kg N ha−1 year−1 by 2, 4 and 8 times. Responses to the different N forms in terms of species cover, importance of component species in maintaining low nutrient availability through N immobilisation and the implications of breakdown in vegetative cover and species replacement for peatland function are discussed in relation to N fluxes. All forms of N were not equally detrimental: ammonia deposition significantly reduced the vegetative cover, removing the sink for N, leading to increased nitrate in soil pore water and nitrous oxide emission whereas effects of wet N deposition, though still detrimental, were more modest. Nitrogen driven reductions in the cover of the keystone Sphagnum species and other characteristic mosses and their ability to immobilise incoming N can affect soil chemistry and lead to changes that could compromise C sequestration.

Wet deposition of nitrogen (N) occurs in oxidized (nitrate) and reduced (ammonium) forms. Whether one form drives vegetation change more than the other is widely debated, as field evidence has been lacking. We are manipulating N form in wet deposition to an ombrotrophic bog, Whim (Scottish Borders), and here report nine years of results. Ammonium and nitrate were provided in rainwater spray as NH4Cl or NaNO3 at 8, 24 or 56 kg N ha−1 yr−1, plus a rainwater only control, via an automated system coupled to site meteorology. Detrimental N effects were observed in sensitive nonvascular plant species, with higher cumulative N loads leading to more damage at lower annual doses. Cover responses to N addition, both in relation to form and dose, were species specific and mostly dependent on N dose. Some species were generally indifferent to N form and dose, while others were dose sensitive. Calluna vulgaris showed a preference for higher N doses as ammonium N and Hypnum jutlandicum for nitrate N. However, after 9 years, the magnitude of change from wet deposited N on overall species cover is small, indicating only a slow decline in key species. Nitrogen treatment effects on soil N availability were likewise small and rarely correlated with species cover. Ammonium caused most N accumulation and damage to sensitive species at lower N loads, but toxic effects also occurred with nitrate. However, because different species respond differently to N form, setting of ecosystem level critical loads by N form is challenging. We recommend implementing the lowest value of the critical load range where communities include sensitive nonvascular plants and where ammonium dominates wet deposition chemistry. In the context of parallel assessment at the same site, N treatments for wet deposition showed overall much smaller effects than corresponding inputs of dry deposition as ammonia.

Atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition is a global and increasing threat to biodiversity and ecosystem function. Much of our current understanding of N deposition impacts comes from field manipulation studies, although interpretation may need caution where simulations of N deposition (in terms of dose, application rate and N form) have limited realism. Here, we review responses to simulated N deposition from the UKREATE network, a group of nine experimental sites across the UK in a diversity of heathland, grassland, bog and dune ecosystems which include studies with a high level of realism and where many are also the longest running globally on their ecosystem type. Clear responses were seen across the sites with the greatest sensitivity shown in cover and species richness of bryophytes and lichens. Productivity was also increased at sites where N was the limiting nutrient, while flowering also showed high sensitivity, with increases and declines seen in dominant shrub and forb species, respectively. Critically, these parameters were responsive to some of the lowest additional loadings of N (7.7–10 kg ha−1 yr−1) showing potential for impacts by deposition rates seen in even remote and ‘unpolluted’ regions of Europe. Other parameters were less sensitive, but nevertheless showed response to higher doses. These included increases in soil %N and ‘plant available’ KCl extractable N,N cycling rates and acid–base status. Furthermore, an analysis of accumulated dose that quantified response against the total N input over time suggested that N impacts can ‘build up’ within an ecosystem such that even relatively low N deposition rates can result in ecological responses if continued for long enough. Given the responses have important implications for ecosystem structure, function, and recovery from N loading, the clear evidence for impacts at relatively low N deposition rates across a wide range of habitats is of considerable concern.

Although the effects of atmospheric nitrogen deposition on species composition are relatively well known, the roles of the different forms of nitrogen, in particular gaseous ammonia (NH3), have not been tested in the field. Since 2002, we have manipulated the form of N deposition to an ombrotrophic bog, Whim, on deep peat in southern Scotland, with low ambient N (wet + dry = 8 kg N ha 1 yr 1) and S (4 kg S ha 1 yr 1) deposition. A gradient of ammonia (NH3, dry N), from 70 kg N ha 1 yr 1 down to background, 3–4 kg N ha 1 yr 1 was generated by free air release. Wet ammonium (NH4 +, wet N) was provided to replicate plots in a fine rainwater spray (NH4Cl at +8, +24, +56 kg N ha 1 yr 1). Automated treatments are coupled to meteorological conditions, in a globally unique, field experiment. Ammonia concentrations were converted to NH3-N deposition (kg N ha 1) using a site/vegetation specific parameterization. Within 3 years, exposure to relatively modest deposition of NH3, 20–56 kg NH3-N ha 1 yr 1 led to dramatic reductions in species cover, with almost total loss of Calluna vulgaris, Sphagnum capillifolium and Cladonia portentosa. These effects appear to result from direct foliar uptake and interaction with abiotic and biotic stresses, rather than via effects on the soil. Additional wet N by contrast, significantly increased Calluna cover after 5 years at the 56 kg N dose, but reduced cover of Sphagnum and Cladonia. Cover reductions caused by wet N were significantly different from and much smaller than those caused by equivalent dry N doses. The effects of gaseous NH3 described here, highlight the potential for ammonia to destroy acid heathland and peat bog ecosystems. Separating the effects of gaseous ammonia and wet ammonium deposition, for a peat bog, has significant implications for regulatory bodies and conservation agencies

The effects of 4 years of simulated nitrogen deposition, as nitrate (NO3 ) and ammonium (NH4 1), on microbial carbon turnover were studied in an ombrotrophic peatland. We investigated the mineralization of simple forms of carbon using MicroRespt 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: Nacetyl- 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 1 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 1 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.