Overview of revised nitrogen critical loads

The Coordination Centre for Effects (CCE) has released a new brochure summarising their 2022 report, “Review and Revision of Empirical Critical Loads of Nitrogen for Europe”, a revision of the empirical critical loads of nitrogen (CLempN) from 2011.
Critical loads (CL) are crucial tools in European environmental policy, providing quantitative thresholds for pollutant exposure below which significant harm to sensitive ecosystems is unlikely. Critical loads can be empirically estimated or modelled values. The former are based on measurable changes in ecosystem structure and function. The revised data will help support more effective nitrogen emission reduction policies across Europe, contributing to the preservation of vulnerable ecosystems, such as forests, lakes and heathlands.
The 32-page publication is designed as an accessible resource for scientists, policymakers, and the general public. It offers a concise overview of the updated empirical data, which indicates that 40% of ecosystems are more sensitive to nitrogen than previously thought.

Report: https://www.umweltbundesamt.de/publikationen/empirical-critical-loads-of...

 

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