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Unexpected response of nitrogen deposition to nitrogen oxide controls and implications for land carbon sink

Author

Listed:
  • Mingxu Liu

    (Peking University)

  • Fang Shang

    (Peking University)

  • Xingjie Lu

    (Sun Yat-sen University)

  • Xin Huang

    (Nanjing University)

  • Yu Song

    (Peking University)

  • Bing Liu

    (China National Environmental Monitoring Center)

  • Qiang Zhang

    (Tsinghua University)

  • Xuejun Liu

    (China Agricultural University)

  • Junji Cao

    (Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Tingting Xu

    (Chengdu University of Technology)

  • Tiantian Wang

    (Peking University)

  • Zhenying Xu

    (Peking University)

  • Wen Xu

    (China Agricultural University)

  • Wenling Liao

    (Peking University)

  • Ling Kang

    (Peking University)

  • Xuhui Cai

    (Peking University)

  • Hongsheng Zhang

    (Peking University)

  • Yongjiu Dai

    (Sun Yat-sen University)

  • Tong Zhu

    (Peking University
    Peking University)

Abstract

Terrestrial ecosystems in China receive the world’s largest amount of reactive nitrogen (N) deposition. Recent controls on nitrogen oxides (NOx = NO + NO2) emissions in China to tackle air pollution are expected to decrease N deposition, yet the observed N deposition fluxes remain almost stagnant. Here we show that the effectiveness of NOx emission controls for reducing oxidized N (NOy = NOx + its oxidation products) deposition is unforeseen in Eastern China, with one-unit reduction in NOx emission leading to only 55‒76% reductions in NOy-N deposition, as opposed to the high effectiveness (around 100%) in both Southern China and the United States. Using an atmospheric chemical transport model, we demonstrate that this unexpected weakened response of N deposition is attributable to the enhanced atmospheric oxidizing capacity by NOx emissions reductions. The decline in N deposition could bear a penalty on terrestrial carbon sinks and should be taken into account when developing pathways for China’s carbon neutrality.

Suggested Citation

  • Mingxu Liu & Fang Shang & Xingjie Lu & Xin Huang & Yu Song & Bing Liu & Qiang Zhang & Xuejun Liu & Junji Cao & Tingting Xu & Tiantian Wang & Zhenying Xu & Wen Xu & Wenling Liao & Ling Kang & Xuhui Cai, 2022. "Unexpected response of nitrogen deposition to nitrogen oxide controls and implications for land carbon sink," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-10, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:13:y:2022:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-022-30854-y
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30854-y
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Jing Wang & Liang Feng & Paul I. Palmer & Yi Liu & Shuangxi Fang & Hartmut Bösch & Christopher W. O’Dell & Xiaoping Tang & Dongxu Yang & Lixin Liu & ChaoZong Xia, 2020. "Large Chinese land carbon sink estimated from atmospheric carbon dioxide data," Nature, Nature, vol. 586(7831), pages 720-723, October.
    2. Xuejun Liu & Ying Zhang & Wenxuan Han & Aohan Tang & Jianlin Shen & Zhenling Cui & Peter Vitousek & Jan Willem Erisman & Keith Goulding & Peter Christie & Andreas Fangmeier & Fusuo Zhang, 2013. "Enhanced nitrogen deposition over China," Nature, Nature, vol. 494(7438), pages 459-462, February.
    3. Christopher M. Clark & David Tilman, 2008. "Loss of plant species after chronic low-level nitrogen deposition to prairie grasslands," Nature, Nature, vol. 451(7179), pages 712-715, February.
    4. Jing Wang & Liang Feng & Paul I. Palmer & Yi Liu & Shuangxi Fang & Hartmut Bösch & Christopher W. O’Dell & Xiaoping Tang & Dongxu Yang & Lixin Liu & ChaoZong Xia, 2020. "Publisher Correction: Large Chinese land carbon sink estimated from atmospheric carbon dioxide data," Nature, Nature, vol. 588(7837), pages 19-19, December.
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