Recovery from acidification and eutrophication

Eutrophication is the enrichment of water (lake or river) with nutrients, leading to the excessive growth of organisms and a lack of oxygen.

Despite successful European policies to reduce emissions of acidifying and eutrophying pollutants, further reductions are required to protect the most sensitive ecosystems as 60% of UK terrestrial systems are at risk of acidification, and a similar fraction is at risk from nitrogen enrichment.

CEH research aims to provide the science required to ensure that new policies are based on the best available evidence, providing new information on the stock at risk, evidence and indicators of change, greater understanding of the underlying processes in nitrogen and sulphur cycling in soils, consequences for biodiversity and identifying the potential for recovery.

Scientists at CEH's Bangor research site are measuring the impacts of nitrogen pollution in a wide range of habitats and using modelling approaches to predict the timescale and magnitude of effects for the future. They also coordinate a national consortium on nitrogen and acidity for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (UK Research on Acidification and Eutrophication or Terrestrial Ecosystems).

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