The study was carried out by 200 scientists and experts from 21 countries and 89 organizations, including INRA. Estimated on a European scale for the first time, the report made an assessment of the economic impact of nitrogen pollution, in particular its effect on health, ecosystems, biodiversity loss and climate change. The European Nitrogen Assessment will give policymakers a comprehensive scientific evaluation of the likely consequences of nitrogen pollution and offer key actions to protect the environment and public health.
INRA’s role in the European Union’s NitroEurope project (2006-2011)
INRA is concerned by nitrogen and its environmental impact because the leading use of nitrogen is agricultural production. INRA was one of the key partners in the NitroEurope project for this reason and also because of its scope and experience carrying out research at the European level.
INRA was a major contributor to the NitroEurope nitrogen compound emission and deposition monitoring network, with five research sites located throughout France, comprising croplands, grasslands and forests. INRA also coordinated the measurement of concentrations of nitrogen gases and particulate matter at these sites, as well as at sites in Italy and Ireland. The study of reactive nitrogen deposition across the more than 50 project sites was carried out by INRA as well.
Studies carried out on grasslands were coordinated by INRA, as was the modelling and measurement of nitrogen fluxes at the landscape scale (six European landscape study sites). INRA also complied and manages the landscape-scale database.
INRA contributed to modelling the nitrogen cycle on croplands and grasslands (CERES-EGC and PASIM models respectively).
Several INRA researchers contributed to The European Nitrogen Assessment; in particular, chapters 7, “Nitrogen processes in aquatic ecosystems”, and 11, “Nitrogen flows and fate in rural landscapes”, were led by experts from INRA.
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