title: Long-term impacts of nitrogen deposition on coastal plant communities.
abstract: Nitrogen deposition has been shown to have significant impacts on a range of vegetation types resulting in eutrophication and species compositional change. Data from a re-survey of 89 coastal sites in Scotland, UK, c. 34 years after the initial survey were examined to assess the degree of change in species composition that could be accounted for by nitrogen deposition. There was an overall increase in the Ellenberg Indicator Value for nitrogen (EIV-N) of 0.15 between the surveys, with a clear shift to species characteristic of more eutrophic situations. This was most evident for Acid grassland, Fixed dune, Heath, Slack and Tall grass mire communities and despite falls in EIV-N for Improved grass, Strand and Wet grassland. The increase in EIV-N was highly correlated to the cumulative deposition between the surveys, and for sites in south-east Scotland, eutrophication impacts appear severe. Unlike other studies, there appears to have been no decline in species richness associated with nitrogen deposition, though losses of species were observed on sites with the very highest levels of SOx deposition. It appears that dune vegetation (specifically Fixed dune) shows evidence of eutrophication above 4.1 kg N ha(-1) yr(-1), or 5.92 kg N ha(-1) yr(-1) if the lower 95% confidence interval is used. Coastal vegetation appears highly sensitive to nitrogen deposition, and it is suggested that major changes could have occurred prior to the first survey in 1976.
authors: The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen AB15 8QH, UK. Electronic address: robin.pakeman@hutton.ac.uk.
authors: Robin J
authors: RJ
authors: Pakeman
authors: The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen AB15 8QH, UK.
authors: Jim
authors: J
authors: Alexander
authors: The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen AB15 8QH, UK.
authors: Rob
authors: R
authors: Brooker
authors: The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen AB15 8QH, UK.
authors: Roger
authors: R
authors: Cummins
authors: The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen AB15 8QH, UK.
authors: Debbie
authors: D
authors: Fielding
authors: The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen AB15 8QH, UK.
authors: Sarah
authors: S
authors: Gore
authors: The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen AB15 8QH, UK.
authors: Richard
authors: R
authors: Hewison
authors: The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen AB15 8QH, UK.
authors: Ruth
authors: R
authors: Mitchell
authors: School of Biological Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, The King's Buildings, Ashworth Laboratories, Charlotte Auerbach Road, Edinburgh EH9 3FL, UK.
authors: Emily
authors: E
authors: Moore
authors: School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol Life Sciences Building, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK.
authors: Katy
authors: K
authors: Orford
authors: The James Hutton Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen AB15 8QH, UK.
authors: Clare
authors: C
authors: Pemberton
authors: School of Biological Science, Cruickshank Building, St Machar Drive, Aberdeen AB24 3UL, UK.
authors: Clare
authors: C
authors: Trinder
authors: Department of Bioscience - Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Aarhus University, Ny Munkegade 116, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark.
authors: Rob
authors: R
authors: Lewis
mesh_terms: D004784:Environmental Monitoring / Q000379:methods*; D005068:Eutrophication; D065948:Grassland; D009584:Nitrogen / Q000032:analysis*; D006109:Poaceae / Q000145:classification / Q000254:growth & development*; D012606:Scotland; D013045:Species Specificity; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D009584:Nitrogen
keywords: Eutrophication; Machair; Nitrogen deposition; Sand dune; Scotland; Vegetation change