Spatial and decadal variations in inorganic nitrogen wet deposition in China induced by human activity

Atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition, an important component in the global N cycle, has increased sharply in recent decades in China. Here, we constructed national-scale inorganic N wet deposition (N(dep)) patterns in China based on data from 280 observational sites and analysed the effects of anthropogenic sources and precipitation on N(dep). Our results showed that the mean N(dep) over China increased approximately 25%, from 11.11 kg ha(−1) a(−1) in the 1990s to 13.87 in the 2000s. N(dep) was highest over southern China and exhibited a decreasing gradient from southern to western and northern China. The decadal difference in N(dep) between the 1990s and 2000s was primarily caused by increases in energy consumption and N fertiliser use. Our findings conformed that anthropogenic activities were the main reason for the N(dep) increase and provide a scientific background for studies on ecological effects of N deposition in China.