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The Critical Levels of Atmospheric Ammonia in a Mediterranean Holm-Oak Forest in North-Eastern Spain

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Abstract

Despite recent regulations, atmospheric ammonia (NH3) emissions have not changed much over the last decades and excessive nitrogen remains as one of the major drivers for biodiversity changes. To prevent deleterious effects on species and ecosystems, it is very important to establish safety thresholds, such as those defined by the Critical Level (CLE) concept, “the concentration above which direct adverse effects on receptors may occur, based on present knowledge.” Empirical critical levels of atmospheric NH3 have mainly been reported for temperate forests and there is a lack of information for Mediterranean forests. Here, we provide a case study on NH3 CLEs for a typical Mediterranean ecosystem, the holm-oak (Quercus ilex) forest. To derive the CLE value, we measured NH3 concentrations for 1 year at a distance gradient in the forest surrounding a point source (cattle farm) and used diversity changes of lichen functional groups to indicate the onset of adverse effects. We estimate a NH3 CLE threshold of 2.6 μg m−3, a value that is higher than that reported in other Mediterranean ecosystems and suggests that the site has been already impacted by NH3 pollution in the past. In a more general context, this study confirms the validity of lichen functional groups to derive CLEs in Mediterranean forests and woodlands and contribute to the body of knowledge regarding the impacts of NH3 on ecosystems.

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Acknowledgements

The financial support from the Spanish Government projects CGL2009-13188-C03-01 and MONTES-Consolider CSD-2008-00040 is fully acknowledged. PM would like to thank COST Action FP0903 for financial support of a short-term scientific mission through contract ECOST-STSM-FP0903-120912-019761. PM, PP, and CB acknowledge FCT-MEC support by contracts BD/51419/2011, BPD/75425/2010, and Investigador FCT. The comments of one reviewer are greatly appreciated.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. CREAF, Centre for Ecological Research and Forestry Applications, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193, Spain

    Laura Aguillaume & Anna Avila

  2. Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Cerdanyola del Vallès, 08193, Spain

    Anna Avila

  3. cE3c, Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal

    Pedro Pinho, Paula Matos & Cristina Branquinho

  4. Cerena, Centre for Natural Resources and the Environment, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisboa, Portugal

    Pedro Pinho

  5. Departament de Biologia Evolutiva, Ecologia i Ciències Ambientals-Botànica i Micologia, Universitat de Barcelona, Avda. Diagonal 643, 08028, Barcelona, Spain

    Esteve Llop

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  1. Laura Aguillaume
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  2. Anna Avila
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  3. Pedro Pinho
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  5. Esteve Llop
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  6. Cristina Branquinho
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Correspondence to Anna Avila.

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Aguillaume, L., Avila, A., Pinho, P. et al. The Critical Levels of Atmospheric Ammonia in a Mediterranean Holm-Oak Forest in North-Eastern Spain. Water Air Soil Pollut 228, 93 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-017-3286-8

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