title: Even low to medium nitrogen deposition impacts vegetation of dry, coastal dunes around the Baltic Sea.
abstract: Coastal dunes around the Baltic Sea have received small amounts of atmospheric nitrogen and are rather pristine ecosystems in this respect. In 19 investigated dune sites the atmospheric wet nitrogen deposition is 3-8kg Nha(-1)yr(-1). The nitrogen content of Cladonia portentosa appeared to be a suitable biomonitor of these low to medium deposition levels. Comparison with EMEP-deposition data showed that Cladonia reflects the deposition history of the last 3-6 years. With increasing nitrogen load, we observed a shift from lichen-rich short grass vegetation towards species-poor vegetation dominated by the tall graminoid Carex arenaria. Plant species richness per field site, however, does not decrease directly with these low to medium N deposition loads, but with change in vegetation composition. Critical loads for acidic, dry coastal dunes might be lower than previously thought, in the range of 4-6kg Nha(-1)yr(-1) wet deposition.
authors.affiliation: Biological Station of Hiddensee, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt University Greifswald, Biologenweg 15, 18565 Kloster, Germany.
authors.forename: Eva
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Remke
authors.forename: Emiel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Brouwer
authors.forename: Annemieke
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kooijman
authors.forename: Irmgard
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Blindow
authors.forename: Hans
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Esselink
authors.forename: Jan G M
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Roelofs
mesh_terms: D000393:Air Pollutants / Q000633:toxicity*; D044822:Biodiversity; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D017753:Ecosystem; D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D008011:Lichens / Q000254:growth & development; D009426:Netherlands; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000633:toxicity*; D006109:Poaceae / Q000254:growth & development; D012822:Silicon Dioxide
chemical_list: D000393:Air Pollutants; D012822:Silicon Dioxide; D009584:Nitrogen