Impacts of nitrogen deposition on ecosystem services in interaction with other nutrients, air pollutants and climate change

Nitrogen (N) deposition affects many ecosystem services, ranging from: (i) provisioning services such as timber/wood fuel production, (ii) regulating services such as carbon sequestration and pollutant filtering leading to the provision of clean air and water, (iii) supporting services such as nutrient cycling and primary production, and (iv) cultural services such as recreation and landscape features or species with aesthetic or spiritual value. This chapter presents discussion of the major relationships between N deposition and ecosystem services as distinguished in the Millennium Ecosystem Assessment. An important issue is how other factors, such as changes in climate, CO2 and tropospheric ozone exposure and other nutrients, such as phosphate, affect those ecosystem services, and how they should be taken into account in critical load assessments, while accounting for regional differences. Another important issue is the linkage between plant species diversity changes, being the main indicator for critical N loads, and ecosystem services, including faunal species diversity and biodiversity-based products, such as impacts on edible wild plants and medicinal plants. Consideration is also given to the implications of these issues for the CBD and LRTAP Conventions.