Abstract

Keywords

Abstract

Main message - Our results indicate that nitrogen deposition is likely to adversely affect forest bryophyte communities, having negative impacts in terms of increased dominance of nitrophilic species at the expense of N-sensitive species and a decrease in evenness.;Context - Elevated atmospheric deposition of nitrogen (N) has long been recognised as a threat to biodiversity and, despite declines in European emission levels, will remain a threat in the future.;Aims - It has proven difficult to show clear large-scale impacts of N deposition on vascular forest understorey species, and few studies have looked at impacts on forest bryophytes. Here, we assess the impact of nitrogen deposition on forest bryophyte communities.;Methods - We used data from 187 plots included in European monitoring schemes to analyse the relationship between levels of throughfall nitrogen deposition and bryophyte taxonomic and functional diversity and community nitrogen preference.;Results - We found that nitrogen deposition is significantly associated with increased bryophyte community nitrogen preference and decreases in species evenness.;Conclusion - Our results indicate that nitrogen deposition is likely to adversely affect forest bryophyte communities, having negative impacts in terms of increased dominance of nitrophilic species at the expense of N-sensitive species and a decrease in species evenness.

LWF Classification

Network: LWF;vegetation, Category: ISI,