Accumulation of Pollutant Nitrogen in Calcareous and Acidic Grasslands: Evidence from N Flux and 15N Tracer Studies

Semi-natural calcareous and acidic grasslands are known to be sensitive to increased atmospheric N deposition. However, the fate of pollutant N within these systems is unknown. This paper reports on the first studies to determine the fate of added N within a calcareous and an acidic grassland subject to long-term simulated enhanced N deposition. Intact soil/turf cores were removed from field plots treated for six years with enhanced N deposition (ambient +0, +35 and +140 kg N ha-1 year-1). Cores were inserted into lysimeters and output fluxes of N were monitored in detail. Complete N budgets-calculated from the N flux data-showed considerable accumulation of N within the treated grasslands, up to 76% and 38% of pollutant N in the calcareous and acidic grasslands respectively. In the second study, the short-term (21 day) fate of pollutant N was determined by tracing 15N labelled ammonium nitrate (+35 kg N ha-1 year-1) though the acidic and calcareous lysimeters into plant, soil and leachate pools. Up to 91% and 59% of 15N was recovered in soils and vegetation of the calcareous and acidic grasslands respectively, with negligible amounts recovered in soil extractable ammonium and nitrate (<0.3%) and in leachate (<0.02%). This rapid short-term immobilisation of pollutant N supports the long-term accumulation of the element calculated from the N flux study