Abstract
The rapid rise in human populations and technological advances since 1850 have caused changes in several global scale biogeochemical cycles, including the global nitrogen cycle. The Haber-Bosch process to convert atmospheric nitrogen gas (N2) to ammonia (NH3) is now almost universally used to fertilize food crops. The production of nitrogen oxides (NOx) from combustion for industrial purposes, energy production, and transportation is the other large source of reactive nitrogen to the atmosphere. Combined, these two human alterations have added approximately 140 Tg N yr1 to the global reactive N pool, a value that now exceeds natural source contributions of about 100 Tg N yr1 (Galloway and Cowling 2002).
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Baron, J.S., Nydick, K.R., Rueth, H.M., Lafrançois, B.M., Wolfe, A.P. (2005). High Elevation Ecosystem Responses to Atmospheric Deposition of Nitrogen in the Colorado Rocky Mountains, USA. In: Huber, U.M., Bugmann, H.K.M., Reasoner, M.A. (eds) Global Change and Mountain Regions. Advances in Global Change Research, vol 23. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-3508-X_43
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-3508-X_43
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