Induction of indirect N2O and NO emissions by atmospheric nitrogen deposition in (semi-)natural ecosystems in Switzerland

During the past century atmospheric nitrogen deposition increased dramatically due to human activities worldwide. Currently, it exceeds the critical load for nitrogen (CLN) in over 90% of the Swiss forest area and raised bogs, in 80% of all fens and in 30% of species-rich grassland areas in Switzerland. Indirect gaseous nitrogen losses (HNO2, NO, N2O, N2) from these soils induced by atmospheric nitrogen deposition are likely to be substantial. However, the approaches to estimate these indirect N emissions provided by the international organisations (UNFCCC, IPCC; UNECE, EMEP/EEA) are based on agricultural data only. They may not be suitable to estimate the indirect emissions from (semi-)natural ecosystems such as forests, extensively used grassland, and wetlands. The present study aims at calculating ecosystem-specific annual indirect N2O and NO emissions of (semi-)natural ecosystems in Switzerland for the years 1990, 2000, 2007 and 2010 using a simple linear model similar to the international guidelines. The approach here is based on empirical data for (semi-)natural ecosystems, derived from a literature survey, is driven by atmospheric nitrogen deposition and is ecosystem-specific with a high spatial resolution of 100 m × 100 m. Our results show that such ecosystems represent a strong source of indirect N emissions induced by atmospheric nitrogen deposition and emitted 1.61 ± 0.32 Gg N2O–N and 2.51 ± 0.53 Gg NO–N into the atmosphere in Switzerland in the year 2010, corresponding to 21% of the total Swiss N2O emissions and 10% of the NOx emissions. Thanks to the reduction of N emissions and thereby reduced atmospheric N deposition, the indirect N2O and NO emissions from (semi-)natural ecosystems are estimated to have been both reduced by c. 20% from 1990 to 2010. We conclude that the source strength for N2O and NO emissions of (semi-)natural ecosystems have been underestimated by the current approaches of IPCC and EMEP/EEA by a factor of 4.4 and 17, respectively. In regions and countries with a high fraction of (semi-)natural ecosystems, the approach offered here has the potential to improve the estimate of indirect N emissions substantially. •We evaluate indirect N2O and NO emissions of (semi-)natural ecosystems.•N emissions of Swiss (semi-)natural ecosystems are mapped at a 1-ha resolution.•These ecosystems emitted 21% of the Swiss N2O and 10% of NOx emissions in 2010.•IPCC and EMEP/EEA approaches substantially underestimate these indirect N emissions.