• Despite decades of industrial deposition, nitrogen availability in the boreal forest is steadily declining. • In a new study published in Nature, researchers from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences using decades of unique, stored data have found that atmospheric CO₂ is the main driver.
Article Summaries:
- A new study published in Nature shows that nitrogen availability in boreal forests is steadily declining despite decades of industrial deposition. Researchers from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences analyzed archived tree cores spanning several decades, revealing that rising atmospheric CO₂-not anthropogenic nitrogen inputs-is the main driver of nitrogen limitation. The long‑term data set allowed scientists to track changes in tree growth and soil chemistry, linking higher CO₂ concentrations to reduced nitrogen uptake. The findings suggest that climate‑driven CO₂ increases may exacerbate nutrient stress in boreal ecosystems, potentially affecting forest productivity and carbon sequestration.
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