Unexpected response of nitrogen deposition to nitrogen oxide controls and implications for land carbon sink

Mingxu Liu, Fang Shang, Xingjie Lu, Xin Huang, Yu Song (), Bing Liu, Qiang Zhang, Xuejun Liu, Junji Cao, Tingting Xu, Tiantian Wang, Zhenying Xu, Wen Xu, Wenling Liao, Ling Kang, Xuhui Cai, Hongsheng Zhang, Yongjiu Dai and Tong Zhu ()
Additional contact information
Mingxu Liu: Peking University
Fang Shang: Peking University
Xingjie Lu: Sun Yat-sen University
Xin Huang: Nanjing University
Yu Song: Peking University
Bing Liu: China National Environmental Monitoring Center
Qiang Zhang: Tsinghua University
Xuejun Liu: China Agricultural University
Junji Cao: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Tingting Xu: Chengdu University of Technology
Tiantian Wang: Peking University
Zhenying Xu: Peking University
Wen Xu: China Agricultural University
Wenling Liao: Peking University
Ling Kang: Peking University
Xuhui Cai: Peking University
Hongsheng Zhang: Peking University
Yongjiu Dai: Sun Yat-sen University
Tong Zhu: Peking University

Nature Communications, 2022, vol. 13, issue 1, 1-10

Abstract: Abstract Terrestrial ecosystems in China receive the world’s largest amount of reactive nitrogen (N) deposition. Recent controls on nitrogen oxides (NOx = NO + NO2) emissions in China to tackle air pollution are expected to decrease N deposition, yet the observed N deposition fluxes remain almost stagnant. Here we show that the effectiveness of NOx emission controls for reducing oxidized N (NOy = NOx + its oxidation products) deposition is unforeseen in Eastern China, with one-unit reduction in NOx emission leading to only 55‒76% reductions in NOy-N deposition, as opposed to the high effectiveness (around 100%) in both Southern China and the United States. Using an atmospheric chemical transport model, we demonstrate that this unexpected weakened response of N deposition is attributable to the enhanced atmospheric oxidizing capacity by NOx emissions reductions. The decline in N deposition could bear a penalty on terrestrial carbon sinks and should be taken into account when developing pathways for China’s carbon neutrality.

Date: 2022
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-30854-y

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