Abstract

Nitrogen leaching from boreal and temporal forests, where normally most of the nitrogen is retained, has the potential to increase acidification of soil and water and eutrophication of the Baltic Sea. In parts of Sweden, where the nitrogen deposition has been intermediate to high during recent decades, there are indications that the soils are close to nitrogen saturation. In this study, four different approaches were used to assess the risk of nitrogen leaching from forest soils in different parts of Sweden. Nitrate concentrations in soil water and C:N ratios in the humus layer where interpreted, together with model results from mass balance calculations and detailed dynamic modelling. All four approaches pointed at a risk of nitrogen leaching from forest soils in southern Sweden. However, there was a substantial variation on a local scale. Basing the assessment on four different approaches makes the assessment robust

Keywords

Nitrogen leaching; forest; nitrogen retention; modelling; Sweden

Published in

Environmental Pollution
2010, Volume: 158, number: 158, pages: 3588-3595
Publisher: Elsevier

SLU Authors

• Lundin, Lars

  • Department of Soil and Environment, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences
    

Associated SLU-program

Lakes and watercourses
Forest
Eutrophication


UKÄ Subject classification

Environmental Sciences related to Agriculture and Land-use
Forest Science
Fish and Aquacultural Science


Publication Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envpol.2010.08.012

Permanent link to this page (URI)

https://res.slu.se/id/publ/30769