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Assessing the Impacts of Long-Range Sulfur and Nitrogen Deposition on Arctic and Sub-Arctic Ecosystems
- Source :
- Ambio, 39(2), 136-147, Forsius, M, Posch, M, Aherne, J, Reinds, G J, Christensen, J H & Hole, L 2010, ' Assessing the Impacts of Long-Range Sulfur and Nitrogen Deposition on Arctic and Sub-Arctic Ecosystems ', Ambio, vol. 39, no. 2, pp. 136-147 . https://doi.org/10.1007/s13280-010-0022-7, Ambio 39 (2010) 2
- Publication Year :
- 2010
-
Abstract
- For more than a decade, anthropogenic sulfur (S) and nitrogen (N) deposition has been identified as a key pollutant in the Arctic. In this study new critical loads of acidity (S and N) were estimated for terrestrial ecosystems north of 60A degrees latitude by applying the Simple Mass Balance (SMB) model using two critical chemical criteria (Al/Bc = 1 and ANC(le) = 0). Critical loads were exceeded in large areas of northern Europe and the Norilsk region in western Siberia during the 1990s, with the more stringent criterion (ANC(le) = 0) showing the larger area of exceedance. However, modeled deposition estimates indicate that mean concentrations of sulfur oxides and total S deposition within the Arctic almost halved between 1990 and 2000. The modeled exceeded area is much reduced when currently agreed emission reductions are applied, and almost disappears under the implementation of maximum technically feasible reductions by 2020. In northern North America there was no exceedance under any of the deposition scenarios applied. Modeled N deposition was less than 5 kg ha(-1) y(-1) almost across the entire study area for all scenarios; and therefore empirical critical loads for the eutrophying impact of nitrogen are unlikely to be exceeded. The reduction in critical load exceedances is supported by observed improvements in surface water quality, whereas the observed extensive damage of terrestrial vegetation around the mining and smelter complexes in the area is mainly caused by direct impacts of air pollution and metals.
- Subjects :
- Time Factors
010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences
Nitrogen
pechenga
Geography, Planning and Development
Air pollution
Environmental pollution
010501 environmental sciences
medicine.disease_cause
Atmospheric sciences
Models, Biological
01 natural sciences
soil
acidification
Report
medicine
Environmental Chemistry
air-pollution
Wageningen Environmental Research
uncertainty
Ecosystem
0105 earth and related environmental sciences
Pollutant
model
Ecology
Arctic Regions
SS - Soil Chemistry and Nature
forest ecosystems
terrestrial ecosystems
General Medicine
CB - Bodemchemie en Natuur
Eutrophication
Hydrogen-Ion Concentration
15. Life on land
simulation
critical loads
Arctic
13. Climate action
Environmental science
Environmental Pollutants
Terrestrial ecosystem
Water quality
Environmental Pollution
Deposition (chemistry)
Sulfur
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 00447447
- Volume :
- 39
- Issue :
- 2
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Ambio
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....10f780fa70276942e7b59900dc47bcef