Characterizing localized nitrogen sensitivity of tree species and the associated influences of mediating factors.

ABSTRACT: Critical loads (CLs) are frequently used to quantify terrestrial ecosystem impacts from nitrogen (N) deposition using ecological responses such as the growth and mortality of tree species. Typically, CLs are reported as a single value, with uncertainty, for an indicator across a species' entire range. Mediating factors such as climate and soil conditions can influence species' sensitivity to N, but the magnitudes of these effects are rarely calculated explicitly. Here, we quantify the spatial variability and estimation error in N CLs for the growth and survival of 10 different tree species while accounting for key environmental factors that mediate species sensitivity to N (e.g., soil characteristics). We used a bootstrapped machine learning approach to determine the level of N deposition

SUBMITTER: Coughlin JG 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11694898 | biostudies-literature | 2024 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature