Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

A nitrogen budget of mainland China with spatial and temporal variation

  • Published:
Biogeochemistry Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The present study evaluated nitrogen (N) input and output in mainland China using updated data of temporally and spatially-based land use maps and statistical data at national and provincial scales. The total N inputs increased from 3,081 kg km−2 in 1985 to 5,426 kg km−2 in 2007. Chemical fertilizer dominated the N input and showed an increasing trend. Biological N fixation was the second important N input till 1990 and atmospheric deposition became the second most important source after that, accounting for 24.0% in 2007. There was no net N input through food/feed import in 1985, but it accounted for 3.5% of the total N input in 2007. According to a mass balance model, we assumed total N input equal to output. The results showed that more than half of the total N was denitrified or stored in the system. Ammonia volatilization accounted for 18.9–22.9% of the total N input, and N export to water bodies accounted for 17.9–20.7%. About 5.1–7.7% of the N input was emitted to the atmosphere through biomass burning. When calculated per unit area, total N input, N export to water bodies, denitrification and storage could be very well explained by human population density. Nitrogen input and major outputs were also positively related to per capita gross domestic product and the percentage of total land area used as cropland. The N budget is compared to that of some other countries and the environmental impacts of the N cycle is discussed.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Andreae MO, Merlet P (2001) Emission of trace gases and aerosols from biomass burning. Glob Biogeochem Cycles 15:955–966

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Asman WAH (1998) Factors influencing local dry deposition of gases with special reference to ammonia. Atmos Environ 32(3):415–421

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bashkin VN, Park SU, Choi MS, Lee CB (2002) Nitrogen budgets for the Republic of Korea and the Yellow Sea region. Biogeochemistry 57/58:387–403

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Billen G, Lancelot C, Meybeck M (1991) N, P and Si retention along the aquatic continuum from land to ocean. In: Mantoura RFC, Martin JM, Wollast R (eds) Ocean margin processes in global change, Dahlem workshop reports. Wiley, Chichester, pp 19–44

  • Bouwman AF, Drecht GV, Hoek KWV (2005) Global and regional surface nitrogen balance in intensive agriculture production systems for the period 1970–2030. Pedosphere 15(2):137–155

    Google Scholar 

  • Boyer EW, Goodale CL, Jaworski NA, Howarth RW (2002) Anthropogenic nitrogen sources and relationships to riverine nitrogen export in the northeastern USA. Biogeochemistry 57(58):137–169

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Breemen NV, Boyer EW et al (2002) Where did all the nitrogen go? Fate of nitrogen inputs to large watersheds in the northeastern USA. Biogeochemistry 57(58):267–293

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Burns RC, Hardy RWF (1975) Nitrogen fixation in bacteria and higher plants. Springer, New York

    Book  Google Scholar 

  • Caraco NF, Cole JJ (1999) Human impact on nitrate export: an analysis using major world rivers. Ambio 28:167–170

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen JS, Yu T (2004) Characteristics of nitrogen loss modulus in the Yellow River Basin. J Agro-Environ Sci 23(5):833–838 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Chu QQ, Li LJ, Ma HB (2006) Future grain trade measures on food security in China. Rev China Agric Sci Technol 8(2):36–41 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Drecht GV, Bouwman AF et al (2003) Global modeling of the fate of nitrogen from point and nonpoint sources in soils, groundwater, and surface water. Glob Biogeochem Cycles 17(4):1115

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Duan SW, Liang T, Zhang S, Wang LJ, Zhang XM, Chen XB (2008) Seasonal changes in nitrogen and phosphorus transport in the lower Changjiang River before the construction of the Three Gorges Dam. Estuar Coast Shelf Sci. 79:239–250

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Edited by National Bureau of Statistics of China (1986, 1991, 1996, 2001, 2006, 2008) China statistical yearbook. China Statistic Press, Beijing (in Chinese)

  • Editorial Board of China Agriculture Yearbook (1986, 1991, 1996, 2001, 2006, 2008) China agriculture yearbook. China Agricultural Press, Beijing (in Chinese)

  • Fang YD, Feng ZM, Hu YC et al (2007) Balance of field nitrogen nutrient input/output using GIS technology in China. Trans CSAE 23(7):35–41 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Filoso S, Martinelli LA, Howrath TW et al (2006) Human activities changing the nitrogen cycle in Brazil. Biogeochemistry 79:61–89

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Galloway JN, Cowling EB (2002) Reactive nitrogen and the world: 200 years of change. Ambio 31:64–71

    Google Scholar 

  • Galloway JN, Howarth RW, Michaels AF et al (1996) Nitrogen and phosphorus budgets of the North Atlantic Ocean and its watershed. Biogeochemistry 35:1.3–135

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Galloway JN, Dentener FJ, Capone DG et al (2004) Nitrogen cycles: past, present, and future. Biogeochemistry 70:153–226

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Galloway JN, Townsend AR, Erisma JW et al (2008) Transformation of the nitrogen cycle: recent trends, questions, and potential solutions. Science 20:889–892

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goulding KWT, Bailey NJ, Bradbury NJ et al (1998) Nitrogen deposition and its contribution to nitrogen cycling and associated soil processes. New Phytol 139:49–58

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Groffman PM, Altabet MA, Bohlke JK et al (2006) Methods for measuring denitrification: diverse approaches to a difficult problem. Ecol Appl 16:2091–2122

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gruber N, Galloway JN (2008) An earth-system perspective of the global nitrogen cycle. Nature 451:293–296. doi:10.1038/nature06592

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guo JH, Liu XJ, Zhang Y et al (2010) Significant acidification in major Chinese croplands. Science 327:1008

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Howarth RW, Billen G, Swaney D et al (1996) Regional nitrogen budgets and N and riverine P fluxes for the drainages to the North Atlantic Ocean: natural and human influences. Biogeochemistry 35:75–139

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Huang XP, Huang LM (2002) Temporal and spatial variation characteristics of inorganic nitrogen and active phosphorus in Zhujiang Estuary. J Oceanogr Taiwan Strait 21(4):416–421 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Jin CL, Guo ZQ (1996) Brief assessment of the water resources quality of China. Hydrology 5:1–7 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Li XZ, Chen ZZ (1997) Nitrogen loss and management in grazed grassland. Clim Environ Res 2(3):241–250 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Lin YA, Su JL, Hu CY (2004) N and P in waters of the Zhujiang River Estuary in summer. Acta Oceanol Sin 26(5):63–73 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu GL (1991) China organic fertilizer. Agriculture Press, Beijing, China (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu XL, Xu JX, Wang FH et al (2005) The resource and distribution of nitrogen nutrient in animal excretion in China. J Agric Univ Hebei 28(5):27–32 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Liu XL, Xu JX, Wang FH et al (2006) Estimation parameters of nitrogen balance in stock farming system of China. Chin J Appl Ecol 17(3):417–423 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Lovett GM, Lindberg SE (1993) Atmospheric deposition and canopy interactions of nitrogen in forests. Can J For Res 23:1603–1616

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lu RK (1999) Soil and agricultural chemistry analysis. China Agricultural Science and Technology Press, Beijing, China (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Lü CQ, Tian HQ (2007) Spatial and temporal patterns of nitrogen deposition in China: synthesis of observational data. J Geophys Res 112:D22S05

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Meng W, Yu T, Zheng BH (2007) Variation and influence factors of nitrogen and phosphorus transportation by the Yellow River. Acta Scient Circumst 27(12):2046–2051 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Meybeck M, Ragu A (1995) River discharges to oceans: an assessment of suspended solids, major ions and nutrients, report. U.N. Environ Programme, Nairobi

    Google Scholar 

  • National Basic Geographical Information System (2004) http://nfgis.nsdi.gov.cn/

  • Ohara T, Akimoto H, Kurokawa J, Horii N, Yamaji K, Yan X, Hayasaka T (2007) An Asian emission inventory of anthropogenic emission sources for the period 1980–2020. Atmos Chem Phys Discuss 7:6843–6902

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parfitt RL, Baisden WT et al (2006) Nitrogen inputs and outputs for New Zealand in 2001 at national and regional scales. Biogeochemistry 80:71–88

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Piao SL, Fang JY, Ciais P et al (2009) The carbon balance of terrestrial ecosystems in China. Nature 458:1009–1014

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Qin BQ, Xu PZ, Wu QL et al (2007) Environmental issues of Lake Taihu. China Hydrobiol 581:3–14

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Qiu JJ, Li H, Wang LG (2008) Simulation of nitrogen level and balance in cropland in China. Trans CSAE 24(8):40–44 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Quan WM, Shen XQ, Han JD et al (2005) Analysis and assessment on eutrophication status and developing trend in Changjiang Estuary and adjacent sea. Mar Environ Sci 24(3):13–16 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Roger PA, Ladha JK (1992) Biological N2 fixation in wetland rice fields—estimation and contribution to nitrogen-balance. Plant Soil 141:41–55

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Seitzinger SP, Kroeze C (1998) Global distribution of nitrous oxide production and N inputs in freshwater and coastal marine ecosystems. Glob Biogeochem Cycles 12(1):93–113

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shen ZL, Liu Q, Zhang SM, Miao H, Zhang P (2003) A nitrogen budget of the Changjiang River catchment. Ambio 2:65–69

    Google Scholar 

  • Smil V (1999) Nitrogen in crop production: an account of global flows. Glob Biogeochem Cycles 13:647–662

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Su CG, Yin B, Zhu ZL et al (2005) Gaseous loss of nitrogen from fields and wet deposition of atmospheric nitrogen and their environmental effects. Soils 37(2):113–120 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Sun B, Shen RP et al (2008) Surface N balances in agricultural crop production systems in china for the period 1980–2015. Pedosphere 18(3):304–315

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Vitousek PM, Aber JD, Howarth RW et al (1997) Human alteration of the global nitrogen cycle: sources and consequences. Ecol Appl 7(3):737–750

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang JN, Yan WJ, Jia XD (2006) Modeling the export of point sources of nutrients from the Yangtze River basin and discussing countermeasures. Acta Sci Circumst 26(4):658–666 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang JQ, Ma WQ, Jiang RF et al (2007) Development and application of nitrogen balance model of agro-eco system in China. Trans CSAE 23(8):210–215 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang SW, Liao QJH, Hu YT et al (2009) A preliminary inventory of NH3–N emission and its temporal and spatial distribution of China. J Agro-Environ Sci 28(3):619–628 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Williams EJ, Hutchinson GL, Fehsenfeld FC (1992) NOx and N2O emissions from soil. Glob Biogeochem Cycles 6(4):351–388

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wu SX (2005) The spatial and temporal change of nitrogen and phosphorus produced by livestock and poultry and their effects on agricultural non-point pollution in China (in Chinese). PhD Dissertation, The Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Beijing

  • Xi JB, Zhang FS, You XL (2007) Nitrogen balance of natural forest ecosystem in China. Acta Ecol Sin 27(8):2367–3257 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Xiang B, Watanabe M, Wang QX et al (2006) Nitrogen budgets of agricultural fields of the Changjiang River basin from 1980 to 1990. Sci Total Environ 363:136–148

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xie YX (2006) Nitrogen originating from environment in paddy ecosystem under anthropogenic influences (in Chinese). PhD Dissertation, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing

  • Xing GX, Zhu ZL (2002) Regional nitrogen budgets for China and its major watersheds. Biogeochemistry 57(58):405–427

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Xu H, Yang LZ, Zhao GM, Yin SX, Liu ZP (2009) Anthropogenic impact on surface water quality in Taihu Lake Region, China. Pedosphere 19(6):765–778

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yan WJ, Zhang S, Sun P et al (2003a) How do nitrogen inputs to the Changjiang basin impact the Changjiang River nitrate: a temporal analysis for 1968–1997. Glob Biogeochem Cycle 17(4):1091

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yan XY, Akimoto H, Ohara T (2003b) Estimation of nitrous oxide, nitric oxide and ammonia emissions from croplands in East, Southeast and South Asia. Glob Change Biol 9:1080–1096

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yan XY, Ohara T, Akimoto H (2006) Bottom-up estimate of biomass burning in mainland China. Atmos Environ 40:5262–5273

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yan XY, Zu CC, Wang SW, Smith P (2010) Direct measurement of soil organic carbon content change in the croplands of China. Global Change Biol. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2486.2010.02286.x

  • Yang R, Hayashi K, Zhu B, Li FY, Yan XY (2010) Atmospheric NH3 and NO2 concentration and nitrogen deposition in an agricultural catchment of Eastern China. Sci Total Environ 408(20):4624–4632

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhou J, Cui J, Wang GQ et al (2008) Nitrogen balance and cycling in pasture ecosystem in south China. Soils 40(3):386–391 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhu ZL, Chen DL (2002) Nitrogen fertilizer use in China—contributions to food production, impacts on the environment and best management strategies. Nutr Cycle Agroecosyst 63:117–127

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhu ZL, Wen QX (1992) Nitrogen in soil of China. Jiangsu Science and Technology Publishing House, Nanjing, China (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 40621001, 41061140515). We are grateful to Profs. Guangxi Xing and Zhaoliang Zhu for their useful discussions and suggestions.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Resources and Environmental Sciences, Nanjing Agricultural University, Nanjing, 210095, China

    Chaopu Ti & Jianjun Pan

  2. State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, 210008, China

    Chaopu Ti, Yongqiu Xia & Xiaoyuan Yan

Authors
  1. Chaopu Ti
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jianjun Pan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Yongqiu Xia
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Xiaoyuan Yan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Xiaoyuan Yan.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ti, C., Pan, J., Xia, Y. et al. A nitrogen budget of mainland China with spatial and temporal variation. Biogeochemistry 108, 381–394 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-011-9606-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10533-011-9606-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation