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Human footprints in urban forests: implication of nitrogen deposition for nitrogen and carbon storage

  • Soils, Sec 2 • Global Change, Environ Risk Assess, Sustainable Land Use • Review Article
  • Published:
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Abstract

Purpose

Rising levels of nitrogen (N) deposition are influencing urban forest carbon (C) and N dynamics due to greater human disturbance compared to those in rural areas. N deposition in combination with increased atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) and water limitation may alter C and N storage in urban forests. This review aimed to provide a better understanding of N and C storage under N deposition scenarios in urban forests.

Results and discussion

Globally, fuel combustion and biomass burning contribute in approximately 70 and 16 % of the NOx emission respectively. It is also estimated that NHy and NOx are two to four times higher in urban forests compared to rural areas. However, higher N deposition may not always result in increased N and C storage in urban forests. In fact, urban forests may even show early symptoms of N and C losses under climate change. For example, urban forests in fire-prone areas require higher frequency of burning to reduce the threat of wildfires, leading to an acceleration of C and N loss. Additionally, chronic N deposition may result in an early N loss in urban forests due to faster N saturation and soil acidification in urban forests compared to rural forests. Studies of N deposition on urban forests using N isotope composition (δ15N) also showed that N loss from urban forests can occur through the direct leaching of the deposited NO3 −-N. We also noted that using different 15N signal of soil and plant in combination of tree ring δ15N may provide a better understanding of N movement in urban forests.

Conclusions

Although urban forests may become a source of C and N faster than rural forests, N-limited urban forests may benefit from N deposition to retain both N and C stocks longer than non-N-limited urban forests. Appropriate management practices may also help to delay such symptoms; however, the main source of emission still needs to be managed to reduce both N deposition and rising atmospheric CO2 in urban forests. Otherwise, the N and C stocks in urban forests may further decline when prolonged drought conditions under global climate change increase the frequency of fires and reduce plant photosynthesis.

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Acknowledgments

SHB was supported by Collaborative Research Network Fellowship from University of the Sunshine Coast and Griffith University to undertake this review paper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Environmental Futures Research Institute, School of Natural Sciences, Griffith University, Nathan, Brisbane, QLD, 4111, Australia

    Shahla Hosseini Bai, Zhihong Xu, Timothy J. Blumfield & Frédérique Reverchon

  2. Faculty of Science, Health, Education and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Maroochydore DC, QLD, 4558, Australia

    Shahla Hosseini Bai

  3. Instituto de Ecología A.C., Red de Estudios Moleculares Avanzados, Carretera Antigua a Coatepec, El Haya, Xalapa, 91070, Veracruz, Mexico

    Frédérique Reverchon

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  1. Shahla Hosseini Bai
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  4. Frédérique Reverchon
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Correspondence to Shahla Hosseini Bai.

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Hosseini Bai, S., Xu, Z., Blumfield, T.J. et al. Human footprints in urban forests: implication of nitrogen deposition for nitrogen and carbon storage. J Soils Sediments 15, 1927–1936 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-015-1205-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11368-015-1205-4

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