Nitrogen and Sulfur Deposition Reductions Projected to Partially Restore Forest Soil Conditions in the US Northeast, While Understory Composition Continues to Shift with Future Climate Change

Overview

Journal Water Air Soil Pollut

Date 2022 Oct 31

PMID 36312741

Authors

Stephen D LeDuc

Christopher M Clark

Jennifer Phelan

Salim Belyazid

Micah Bennett

Katie Boaggio

John Buckley

Jamie Cajka

Phillip Jones

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Human activities have dramatically increased nitrogen (N) and sulfur (S) deposition, altering forest ecosystem function and structure. Anticipating how changes in deposition and climate impact forests can inform decisions regarding these environmental stressors. Here, we used a dynamic soil-vegetation model (ForSAFE-Veg) to simulate responses to future scenarios of atmospheric deposition and climate change across 23 Northeastern hardwood stands. Specifically, we simulated soil percent base saturation, acid neutralizing capacity (ANC), nitrate (NO ) leaching, and understory composition under 13 interacting deposition and climate change scenarios to the year 2100, including anticipated deposition reductions under the Clean Air Act (CAA) and Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change-projected climate futures. Overall, deposition affected soil responses more than climate did. Soils recovered to historic conditions only when future deposition returned to pre-industrial levels, although anticipated CAA deposition reductions led to a partial recovery of percent base saturation (60 to 72%) and ANC (65 to 71%) compared to historic values. CAA reductions also limited NO leaching to 30 to 66% above historic levels, while current levels of deposition resulted in NO leaching 150 to 207% above historic values. In contrast to soils, understory vegetation was affected strongly by both deposition and climate. Vegetation shifted away from historic and current assemblages with increasing deposition and climate change. Anticipated CAA reductions could maintain current assemblages under current climate conditions or slow community shifts under increased future changes in temperature and precipitation. Overall, our results can inform decision makers on how these dual stressors interact to affect forest health, and the efficacy of deposition reductions under a changing climate.

Citing Articles

Geographic variation in projected US forest aboveground carbon responses to climate change and atmospheric deposition.

Reese A, Clark C, Phelan J, Buckley J, Cajka J, Sabo R Environ Res Lett. 2024; 19:1-12.

PMID: 38752201 PMC: 11091792. DOI: 10.1088/1748-9326/ad2739.

Future climate change effects on US forest composition may offset benefits of reduced atmospheric deposition of N and S.

Clark C, Phelan J, Ash J, Buckley J, Cajka J, Horn K Glob Chang Biol. 2023; 29(17):4793-4810.

PMID: 37417247 PMC: 11166206. DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16817.

References

Futter M, Valinia S, Lofgren S, Kohler S, Folster J . Long-term trends in water chemistry of acid-sensitive Swedish lakes show slow recovery from historic acidification. Ambio. 2014; 43 Suppl 1:77-90. PMC: 4235927. DOI: 10.1007/s13280-014-0563-2. View

Pierret A, Maeght J, Clement C, Montoroi J, Hartmann C, Gonkhamdee S . Understanding deep roots and their functions in ecosystems: an advocacy for more unconventional research. Ann Bot. 2016; 118(4):621-635. PMC: 5055635. DOI: 10.1093/aob/mcw130. View

Belyazid S, Westling O, Sverdrup H . Modelling changes in forest soil chemistry at 16 Swedish coniferous forest sites following deposition reduction. Environ Pollut. 2006; 144(2):596-609. DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2006.01.018. View

Zavaleta E, Shaw M, Chiariello N, Mooney H, Field C . Additive effects of simulated climate changes, elevated CO2, and nitrogen deposition on grassland diversity. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2003; 100(13):7650-4. PMC: 164642. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.0932734100. View

Clark C, Richkus J, Jones P, Phelan J, Burns D, de Vries W . A synthesis of ecosystem management strategies for forests in the face of chronic nitrogen deposition. Environ Pollut. 2019; 248:1046-1058. DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2019.02.006. View

Westerling A, Turner M, Smithwick E, Romme W, Ryan M . Continued warming could transform Greater Yellowstone fire regimes by mid-21st century. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2011; 108(32):13165-70. PMC: 3156206. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1110199108. View

Thomas R, Zaehle S, Templer P, Goodale C . Global patterns of nitrogen limitation: confronting two global biogeochemical models with observations. Glob Chang Biol. 2013; 19(10):2986-98. DOI: 10.1111/gcb.12281. View

McHale M, Burns D, Siemion J, Antidormi M . The response of soil and stream chemistry to decreases in acid deposition in the Catskill Mountains, New York, USA. Environ Pollut. 2017; 229:607-620. DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2017.06.001. View

Halman J, Schaberg P, Hawley G, Pardo L, Fahey T . Calcium and aluminum impacts on sugar maple physiology in a northern hardwood forest. Tree Physiol. 2013; 33(11):1242-51. DOI: 10.1093/treephys/tpt099. View

10.

Wu W, Driscoll C . Impact of climate change on three-dimensional dynamic critical load functions. Environ Sci Technol. 2009; 44(2):720-6. DOI: 10.1021/es900890t. View

11.

Gilliam F, Burns D, Driscoll C, Frey S, Lovett G, Watmough S . Decreased atmospheric nitrogen deposition in eastern North America: Predicted responses of forest ecosystems. Environ Pollut. 2018; 244:560-574. DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2018.09.135. View

12.

Johnson J, Pannatier E, Carnicelli S, Cecchini G, Clarke N, Cools N . The response of soil solution chemistry in European forests to decreasing acid deposition. Glob Chang Biol. 2018; 24(8):3603-3619. DOI: 10.1111/gcb.14156. View

13.

Sinha E, Michalak A . Precipitation Dominates Interannual Variability of Riverine Nitrogen Loading across the Continental United States. Environ Sci Technol. 2016; 50(23):12874-12884. DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.6b04455. View

14.

Clark C, Simkin S, Allen E, Bowman W, Belnap J, Brooks M . Potential vulnerability of 348 herbaceous species to atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and sulfur in the United States. Nat Plants. 2019; 5(7):697-705. PMC: 10790282. DOI: 10.1038/s41477-019-0442-8. View

15.

Zhou Q, Driscoll C, Sullivan T . Responses of 20 lake-watersheds in the Adirondack region of New York to historical and potential future acidic deposition. Sci Total Environ. 2014; 511:186-94. DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2014.12.044. View

16.

Sala O, Chapin 3rd F, Armesto J, Berlow E, Bloomfield J, Dirzo R . Global biodiversity scenarios for the year 2100. Science. 2000; 287(5459):1770-4. DOI: 10.1126/science.287.5459.1770. View

17.

Stevens C, Dupre C, Dorland E, Gaudnik C, Gowing D, Bleeker A . Nitrogen deposition threatens species richness of grasslands across Europe. Environ Pollut. 2010; 158(9):2940-5. DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2010.06.006. View

18.

McDonnell T, Belyazid S, Sullivan T, Bell M, Clark C, Blett T . Vegetation dynamics associated with changes in atmospheric nitrogen deposition and climate in hardwood forests of Shenandoah and Great Smoky Mountains National Parks, USA. Environ Pollut. 2018; 237:662-674. PMC: 11684342. DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2018.01.112. View

19.

SanClements M, Fernandez I, Norton S . Soil chemical and physical properties at the Bear Brook Watershed in Maine, USA. Environ Monit Assess. 2010; 171(1-4):111-28. DOI: 10.1007/s10661-010-1531-3. View

20.

Clark C, Phelan J, Doraiswamy P, Buckley J, Cajka J, Dennis R . Atmospheric deposition and exceedances of critical loads from 1800-2025 for the conterminous United States. Ecol Appl. 2018; 28(4):978-1002. PMC: 8637495. DOI: 10.1002/eap.1703. View