Pulse Brain · Growing Health Evidence Index
Tier 3 — Observational / field trialPeer-reviewed

Atmospheric inputs & composition

Houlton, B.Z. et al.

2019

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Summary

This paper, published in Nature Geoscience, appears to reassess the scale and sources of atmospheric nitrogen inputs to terrestrial ecosystems, with particular attention to biological nitrogen fixation. Drawing on existing datasets and modelling approaches, it likely revises earlier estimates of BNF and contextualises these alongside anthropogenic nitrogen deposition. The findings have broad relevance to understanding global nitrogen cycling and the sustainability of both natural and agricultural systems.

UK applicability

Although the study is global in scope, its findings on atmospheric nitrogen inputs and BNF are relevant to UK agricultural and environmental policy, particularly in the context of nitrogen budgets, nutrient management planning, and efforts to reduce synthetic fertiliser dependency under post-Brexit agri-environment schemes.

Key measures

Biological nitrogen fixation rates (Tg N yr⁻¹); atmospheric nitrogen deposition; terrestrial nitrogen budget estimates

Outcomes reported

The study likely quantified the global magnitude of biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) and other atmospheric nitrogen inputs, reassessing their contribution to terrestrial nitrogen budgets. It may have compared BNF rates across ecosystem types and evaluated implications for nitrogen cycling and nutrient availability.

Theme
Climate & resilience
Subject
Nutrient cycling & atmospheric inputs
Study type
Research
Study design
Narrative review
Source type
Peer-reviewed study
Status
Published
Geography
Global
System type
Natural and managed terrestrial ecosystems
Catalogue ID
XL0745

Topic tags

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