Organic nitrogen in precipitation across Europe

• Published in: Biogeosciences
• Main Authors: J. N. Cape, Y. S. Tang, J. M. González-Beníez, M. Mitošinková, U. Makkonen, M. Jocher, A. Stolk
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Copernicus Publications 2012
• Subjects: Ecology; QH540-549.5; Life; QH501-531; Geology; QE1-996.5; Northern Finland
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-9-4401-2012; https://doaj.org/article/2a441f14678c499d919a68cbb84cf682

Measurements of total nitrogen and inorganic nitrogen in precipitation samples from NitroEurope sites across Europe permit the calculation of organic nitrogen concentrations and wet deposition, by difference. The contribution of organic N to total N in precipitation ranged from only a few % to around 40% across 18 sites from northern Finland to Italy, similar to results from previous individual studies. This paper presents the absolute and relative contributions of organic N to wet N deposition across Europe, and examines seasonal trends. There were only weak correlations with other solutes in precipitation. These simple statistics indicate that sources of organic N in precipitation vary across Europe, and that no single source is responsible. The organic N contributes to total N deposition, yet this input is rarely quantified in nitrogen budgets.