Changes in Vegetation and Soil Characteristics in Coastal Sand Dunes along a Gradient of Atmospheric Nitrogen Deposition

M. L. M. Jones; H. L. Wallace; D. Norris; S. A. Brittain; S. Haria; R. E. Jones; P. M. Rhind; B. R. Reynolds; B. A. Emmett

doi:10.1055/s-2004-821004

Plant Biology, Table of Contents

Plant Biol (Stuttg) 2004; 6(5): 598-605
DOI: 10.1055/s-2004-821004

Original Paper

Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart KG · New York

Changes in Vegetation and Soil Characteristics in Coastal Sand Dunes along a Gradient of Atmospheric Nitrogen Deposition

M. L. M. Jones¹ , H. L. Wallace² , D. Norris¹ , S. A. Brittain¹ , S. Haria¹ , R. E. Jones³ , P. M. Rhind³ , B. R. Reynolds¹ , B. A. Emmett¹

¹Centre for Ecology and Hydrology Bangor, Orton Building, Deiniol Road, Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2UP, UK
²Ecological Surveys (Bangor), The school house, Canon Pyon, Herefordshire, HR4 8PF, UK
³Countryside Council for Wales, Maes-y-Ffynnon, Penrhosgarnedd, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2DW, UK

Abstract

A field survey was conducted to detect signals of atmospheric nitrogen (N) in 11 dune systems along a nitrogen deposition gradient in the United Kingdom. In the mobile and semi-fixed dunes, above-ground biomass was positively related to N inputs. This increase was largely due to increased height and cover of Ammophila arenaria. In the long term, this increased biomass may lead to increased organic matter accumulation and consequently accelerated soil development. In the fixed dunes, above ground biomass also showed a positive relationship with N inputs as did soil C : N ratio while soil available N was negatively related to N inputs. Plant species richness was negatively related to N inputs. In the dune slacks, while soil and bulk vegetation parameters showed no relationship with N inputs, cover of Carex arenaria and Hypochaeris radicata increased. Site mean Ellenberg N numbers showed no relationship with N deposition either within habitats or across the whole dataset. Neither abundance-weighting nor inclusion of the Siebel numbers for bryophytes improved the relationship. The survey reveals that the relationships of soil and vegetation with atmospheric N deposition vary between sand dune habitats but, despite this variability, clear correlations with N inputs exist. While this survey cannot establish causality, on the basis of the relationships observed we suggest a critical load range of 10 - 20 kg N ha^-1 yr^-1 for coastal sand dunes in the UK.

Critical loads, global change, Ellenberg indicator values, eutrophication, C

N ratios.

Full Text

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M. L. M. Jones

Centre for Ecology and Hydrology Bangor

Orton Building, Deiniol Road

Bangor, Gwynedd LL57 2UP

UK

Email: lj@ceh.ac.uk

Section Editor: H. Papen