- Standardsignatur9087
- TitelExess nitrogen in a fragile montane forest ecosystem : Forests and Society: The Role of Research. XXI IUFRO World Congress, 7-12 August 2000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
- VerfasserRobert Jandl (*)Lee Heng (*)Jiri Simunek (*)
- KörperschaftVienna International Union of Forest Research Organizations
- Erscheinungsjahr2000
- SeitenS. 367
- MaterialUnselbständiges Werk
- Datensatznummer200089785
- QuelleForests and Society: The Role of Research : XXI IUFRO World Congress, 7-12 August 2000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia : Forests and Society: The Role of Research ; Volume 2, S. 367
- AbstractMontane forests on calcareous limestone are fragile ecosystems of the Alps. We investigate, if there are already indications for nitrogen saturation and derive its consequences for the regional water quality. The soils are mostly shallow and often have a low water holding capacity. The growth of most of these forests has been limited by nitrogen until now. The nitrogen demand of the forest stand and the herbaceous vegetation was high enough to almost fully exploit the nitrogen supplied by the soil solution. The last few decades have modified the biogeochemistry forest ecosystems in Europe. Due to the increase in combustion processes and the increase in N emissions from agricultural sources the availability of nitrogen has generally increased. The recently shown increase of growth rates of European forests is understood as a consequence of a nitrogen eutrophication. Ecosystems, that used to be a sink for nitrogen, will no longer retain it fully. Consequently nitrogen is lost from the ecosystem, primarily dissolved as nitrate in seepage water, and secondarily in gaseous form as nitrous oxide. The surface waters draining montane forests have so far been of the highest chemical quality and have been suited as drinking water without further treatment. So settlements, as potential polluters, had access to water of highest purity and local pollution was diluted to water of still good quality. If nitrogen leaks out of montane forests indeed, this favorable situation may be history. Society will be able to rely to a lesser extent on the water purification by montane forests.
- SchlagwörterEutrophierung, Stickstoff, Stickstoffsättigung, Stickstoffablagerung, montaner Wald, Tirol, Österreich
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