Fertilizing Nature A Tragedy of Excess in the Commons 英文参考文献.docVIP

Essay FertilizingNature:ATragedyofExcessintheCommons AllenG.Good,PerrinH.Beatty* DepartmentofBiologicalSciences,UniversityofAlberta,Edmonton,Alberta,Canada overall yield is already apparent in the of global climate change. The NitrogenIsaKeyAquaticand AtmosphericPollutant Abstract: Globally, we are apply- ingexcessivenitrogen(N)fertilizers to our agricultural crops, which ultimately causes nitrogen pollu- tion to our ecosphere. The atmo- sphereispollutedbyN2OandNOx gases that directly and indirectly increaseatmosphericwarmingand climate change. Nitrogen is also leached from agricultural lands as the water-soluble form NO32, which increases nutrient overload inrivers,lakes,andoceans,causing ‘‘dead zones’’, reducing property values and the diversity of aquatic life, and damaging our drinking water and aquatic-associated in- dustries such as fishing and tour- ism. Why do some countries show reductions in fertilizer use while others show increasing use? What N fertilizer application reductions could occur, without compromis- ing crop yields? And what are the economic and environmental ben- efits of using directed nutrient managementstrategies? form incentive to over-apply N fertilizers is likely to continue, as both the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) and the UnitedNations(UN)havepredictedhigh future demand for cereal production, especially within the developing nations, due to predicted increases in populations anddietaryshifts. Nitrogenisthekeylimitingnutrientfor most crops and many aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Unfortunately, the massive increase in anthropogenic N introduced into the environment, largely via N fertilizers, has had significant negative environmental consequences Indevelopedcountries,cropyieldshave nearly reached their biological maximum and increasing fertilizer use is unlikely to provideanysignificantadditionalgains.In contrast, in developing countries, there is stillalargeyieldgap.Althoughweneedto increase crop yields