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Nitrogen saturation experiments phase II

Objective

The overall objective of NITREX II is to obtain direct experimental data at the ecosystem scale regarding (1) the risk of nitrogen saturation due to nitrogen deposition and (2) the recovery of nitrogen saturated systems in response to decreased nitrogen deposition.


NITREX is an international, interdisciplinary research project focused on the impact of nitrogen on forest ecosystems. The project addresses the role of nitrate and ammonium in acidification of soil and water by addition or removal of nitrogen to precipitation falling on headwater catchments and forest stands. These experiments comprise a six-nation European network spanning the gradient in nitrogen deposition form <5 kg ha-1 yr-1 in Norway to >50 kg N ha-1 yr-1 in the Netherlands.

Among questions central to NITREX are :

(1) What is the threshold for nitrogen saturation in coniferous forest ecosystems ?
(2) Is nitrogen saturation reversible, and if so, when and how does recovery proceed ?
(3) What is the critical load for nitrogen in coniferous forests of Europe ?
(4) What is the role of nitrogen in ecosystem acidification and forest decline ?

A detailed description of the project is made in Ecosystems Research Report no 2 of the Commission of the European Communities.

This report is available from P. Mathy (Fax : 32-2-296.30.24).

Call for proposal

Data not available

Coordinator

Landbouwuniversiteit Wageningen
Address
10,duivendaal
6701 AR Wageningen
Netherlands

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Participants (13)

DANISH FOREST AND LANDSCAPE RESEARCH INSTITUTE
Denmark
Address
11,hoersholm Kongevej 11
2970 Hoersholm

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Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule - ETH Zürich
Switzerland
Address
3,grabenstrasse
8952 Schlieren

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GEORG-AUGUST-UNIVERSITY GOETTINGEN
Germany
Address
Buesgenweg 2
37077 Goettingen

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Katholieke Universiteit Nijmegen - Stichting Katholieke Universiteit
Netherlands
Address
Toernooiveld
6500 HC Nijmegen

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NERC Institute of Terrestrial Ecology
United Kingdom
Address
Deiniol Road
LL57 2UW Bangor

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NORWEGIAN FOREST RESEARCH INSTITUTE
Norway
Address
Hoegskoleveien, 12
1432 Aas

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NORWEGIAN INSTITUTE FOR WATER RESEARCH
Norway
Address
19,brekkeveien 19
0411 Oslo

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SWEDISH ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE LTD-IVL SVENSKA MILJOININSTITUTET AB
Sweden
Address
43,valhallavagen 81
11427 Stockholm

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Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape
Switzerland
Address
111,zürcherstrasse
8903 Birmensdorf

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THE SWEDISH UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES
Sweden
Address
Ulls V.33
750 07 Uppsala

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Universiteit van Amsterdam
Netherlands
Address
130,nieuwe Prinsengracht
1018 VZ Amsterdam

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Universität Bayreuth
Germany
Address
Dr-hans-frisch-straße 1-3
95448 Bayreuth

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Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam
Netherlands
Address
1087,de Boelelaan
1081 HV Amsterdam

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