Ecosystem services altered by human changes in the nitrogen cycle: a new perspective for US decision making

Abstract

Human alteration of the nitrogen (N) cycle has produced benefits for health and well-being, but excess N has altered many ecosystems and degraded air and water quality. US regulations mandate protection of the environment in terms that directly connect to ecosystem services. Here, we review the science quantifying effects of N on key ecosystem services, and compare the costs of N-related impacts or mitigation using the metric of cost per unit of N. Damage costs to the provision of clean air, reflected by impaired human respiratory health, are well characterized and fairly high (e.g. costs of ozone and particulate damages of $28 per kg NO x -N). Damage to services associated with productivity, biodiversity, recreation and clean water are less certain and although generally lower, these costs are quite variable (< $2.2-56 per kg N). In the current Chesapeake Bay restoration effort, for example, the collection of available damage costs clearly exceeds the projected abatement costs to reduce N loads to the Bay ($8-15 per kg N). Explicit consideration and accounting of effects on multiple ecosystem services provides decision-makers an integrated view of N sources, damages and abatement costs to address the significant challenges associated with reducing N pollution.

Consequence of altered nitrogen cycles in the coupled human and ecological system under changing climate: The need for long-term and site-based research

“…The European Nitrogen Assessment (ENA) estimated that the highest social costs of N are associated with air pollution effects of NO x on human health (10-30€ per kg of N). A similar value ($28 per kg NO x -N) relating to the USA was obtained by Compton et al (2011). The effects of N loss to water on aquatic ecosystems were evaluated by the ENA as 5-20€ per kg of N. The ENA also estimated N-related environmental damage from agriculture in the EU to be 20-150 billion € year -1 , which is comparable with a benefit of N-fertilizer for farmers of 10-100 billion € per year -1 .…”

“…To date, economic valuation of N-related ecosystem services and human health has been conducted mainly in Europe and the USA (Compton et al 2011;Sutton et al 2011), while assessment in other region such as AsiaPacific, Africa, and South America is still limited and entails great uncertainty. The European Nitrogen Assessment (ENA) estimated that the highest social costs of N are associated with air pollution effects of NO x on human health (10-30€ per kg of N).…”

Drained coastal peatlands: A potential nitrogen source to marine ecosystems under prolonged drought and heavy storm events—A microcosm experiment

“…Overloading of nitrogen is a leading cause of impairment of coastal marine ecosystems around the world (Boesch et al, 2001;Compton et al, 2011;Diaz and Rosenberg, 2008;Paerl and Piehler, 2008). Currently, most studies focus on anthropogenic nitrogen sources, like fertilizer applied in farmlands and fossil-fuel derived atmospheric deposition Liu et al, 2013;Paerl, 1997;Paerl, 2009;Robert, 2008).…”

Sensitivity of the Weather Research and Forecast/Community Multiscale Air Quality modeling system to MODIS LAI, FPAR, and albedo

“…To improve AQ and mitigate the deleterious effects on human health, ecosystems, and climate, policy makers and scientists rely on comprehensive computer modeling systems that simulate emissions, transport, chemistry, and deposition of air pollutants to design emission control strategies for achieving healthy sustainable AQ [Cohan et al, 2007]. The combined meteorology and air quality modeling system WRF/CMAQ-composed of the National Center for Atmospheric Research Weather Research and Forecast (WRF) model [Skamarock et al, 2008] and the United States (U.S.) Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model [Byun and Schere, 2006] is an important decision support tool that is used to help understand the chemical and physical processes involved in AQ degradation and to develop policy to mitigate harmful effects of air pollution on human health and the environment around the world [Isakov et al, 2007;Wang et al, 2010;Compton et al, 2011]. Improving spatial and temporal distributions of modeled air pollutant concentrations and deposition, particularly O 3 , PM 2.5 , and NH 4 , will help reduce the uncertainties involved in quantifying risk assessment to human health and the environment.…”