Evaluation of Plant Responses to Atmospheric Nitrogen Deposition in France Using Integrated Soil-Vegetation Models

Abstract

This article states about evaluation of plant responses to atm. nitrogen deposition in france using integrated soil-vegetation models. Two biogeochem. models were developed and used for crit. load evaluation over Europe and northern America, ForSAFE and VSD+ and their coupled module VEG, on selected French ecosystems. The two models VSD+ and ForSAFE were selected since they are mechanistic models proved to be efficient in simulating the biogeochem. response to nitrogen deposition in soils. ForSAFE- and VSD+ -VEG models showed that it is realistic to simulate link among N deposition and vegetation diversity and is likely to improve simulations by employing processes, influencing factors in geochem. models, VEG database. It was concluded that further investigations, using other sites, are needed to compare the performance of the two models with however, the modeling of crit. loads of nitrogen for forest and grasslands ecosystems based on coupled geochem.-ecol. approaches is a promising way forward. [on SciFinder(R)]