Consequences of nitrogen deposition and soil acidification in European forest ecosystems and mitigation approaches

Baoguo Du; Ralf Kiese; Klaus Butterbach-Bahl; Thomas Dirnböck; Heinz Rennnenberg

doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2025.122523

Consequences of nitrogen deposition and soil acidification in European forest ecosystems and mitigation approaches

Baoguo Du^*, Ralf Kiese, Klaus Butterbach-Bahl, Thomas Dirnböck, Heinz Rennnenberg

^*Corresponding author for this work

Department of Agroecology - Center for Landscape Research in Sustainable Agricultural Futures - Land-CRAFT

Research output: Contribution to journal/Conference contribution in journal/Contribution to newspaper › Review › Research › peer-review

Abstract

European forests have experienced high nitrogen (N) deposition and soil acidification together with sulfur (S) deposition in the recent decades and are still facing challenges in some areas. In the context of elevated CO₂ and air temperature under climate change, the N deposition will initially promote the growth but in the long term it will accelerate nutrient imbalance and reduce tree health. Therefore, forest management must take these aspects into account. Many studies have been carried out on the effects of forest management approaches, i.e., liming, harvesting, and intercropping with other tree species on traits of trees, soil and ecosystem properties and fluxes, however, a comprehensive review summarizing the current consequences of nitrogen saturation and soil acidification in European forest, particularly if current forest management approaches are able to mitigate these consequences in the context of climate change, is still lacking. In our review, we summarize the consequences of N deposition and acidification on trees and soils of forest ecosystems, discuss the importance of the most commonly used management practices in mitigating these consequences, and provide information for future management practices in Europe.

Original language	English
Article number	122523
Journal	Forest Ecology and Management
Volume	580
Number of pages	14
ISSN	0378-1127
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2025.122523
Publication status	Published - 15 Mar 2025

Keywords

Cutting regimes
Forest composition
Forest management
Legacy effects
Nitrogen deposition
Soil nitrogen fluxes

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title = "Consequences of nitrogen deposition and soil acidification in European forest ecosystems and mitigation approaches",

abstract = "European forests have experienced high nitrogen (N) deposition and soil acidification together with sulfur (S) deposition in the recent decades and are still facing challenges in some areas. In the context of elevated CO2 and air temperature under climate change, the N deposition will initially promote the growth but in the long term it will accelerate nutrient imbalance and reduce tree health. Therefore, forest management must take these aspects into account. Many studies have been carried out on the effects of forest management approaches, i.e., liming, harvesting, and intercropping with other tree species on traits of trees, soil and ecosystem properties and fluxes, however, a comprehensive review summarizing the current consequences of nitrogen saturation and soil acidification in European forest, particularly if current forest management approaches are able to mitigate these consequences in the context of climate change, is still lacking. In our review, we summarize the consequences of N deposition and acidification on trees and soils of forest ecosystems, discuss the importance of the most commonly used management practices in mitigating these consequences, and provide information for future management practices in Europe.",

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Consequences of nitrogen deposition and soil acidification in European forest ecosystems and mitigation approaches. / Du, Baoguo; Kiese, Ralf; Butterbach-Bahl, Klaus et al.
In: Forest Ecology and Management, Vol. 580, 122523, 15.03.2025.

Research output: Contribution to journal/Conference contribution in journal/Contribution to newspaper › Review › Research › peer-review

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AU - Du, Baoguo

AU - Kiese, Ralf

AU - Butterbach-Bahl, Klaus

AU - Dirnböck, Thomas

AU - Rennnenberg, Heinz

PY - 2025/3/15

Y1 - 2025/3/15

N2 - European forests have experienced high nitrogen (N) deposition and soil acidification together with sulfur (S) deposition in the recent decades and are still facing challenges in some areas. In the context of elevated CO2 and air temperature under climate change, the N deposition will initially promote the growth but in the long term it will accelerate nutrient imbalance and reduce tree health. Therefore, forest management must take these aspects into account. Many studies have been carried out on the effects of forest management approaches, i.e., liming, harvesting, and intercropping with other tree species on traits of trees, soil and ecosystem properties and fluxes, however, a comprehensive review summarizing the current consequences of nitrogen saturation and soil acidification in European forest, particularly if current forest management approaches are able to mitigate these consequences in the context of climate change, is still lacking. In our review, we summarize the consequences of N deposition and acidification on trees and soils of forest ecosystems, discuss the importance of the most commonly used management practices in mitigating these consequences, and provide information for future management practices in Europe.

AB - European forests have experienced high nitrogen (N) deposition and soil acidification together with sulfur (S) deposition in the recent decades and are still facing challenges in some areas. In the context of elevated CO2 and air temperature under climate change, the N deposition will initially promote the growth but in the long term it will accelerate nutrient imbalance and reduce tree health. Therefore, forest management must take these aspects into account. Many studies have been carried out on the effects of forest management approaches, i.e., liming, harvesting, and intercropping with other tree species on traits of trees, soil and ecosystem properties and fluxes, however, a comprehensive review summarizing the current consequences of nitrogen saturation and soil acidification in European forest, particularly if current forest management approaches are able to mitigate these consequences in the context of climate change, is still lacking. In our review, we summarize the consequences of N deposition and acidification on trees and soils of forest ecosystems, discuss the importance of the most commonly used management practices in mitigating these consequences, and provide information for future management practices in Europe.

KW - Cutting regimes

KW - Forest composition

KW - Forest management

KW - Legacy effects

KW - Nitrogen deposition

KW - Soil nitrogen fluxes

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Consequences of nitrogen deposition and soil acidification in European forest ecosystems and mitigation approaches

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Keywords

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