Abstract

Temperate forests in Chile are not yet affected by elevated nitrogen (N) deposition. However, anthropogenic activities such as transport, industry and agriculture have been increasing in central and southern Chile. These activities can substantially alter the atmospheric N load and subsequently N deposition. Nitrogen deposition data for central and southern Chile are scares and scattered. In order to assess trends of N deposition a good knowledge of past and current N depositions is however essential. This study presents an overview of the existing N deposition data in Chile. In central Chile, dry deposition has been estimated at 0.8 kg NO3 --N ha-1 yr -1 and 1.0 kg NH4 +-N ha-1 yr -1, giving a total of 1.8 kg N ha-1 and wet deposition was 0.4 kg NO3 --N ha-1 and 0.6 kg NH 4 +-N ha-1 yr-1, giving a total of 1.0 kg N ha-1 yr-1. In southern Chile, inorganic N deposition via rainwater are less than 1.0 kg N ha-1 yr-1 in the coast range and < 5.0 kg N ha-1 in the Andes. The N input via cloudwater in the coast range was estimated at 1.1 kg NO3 --N ha-1 yr-1 and 0.9 kg NH4 +-N ha-1 yr-1, versus 1.0 kg NO 3 --N ha-1 yr-1 and 1.4 kg NH 4 +-N ha-1 yr-1 the Andean mountains. Organic N input in rainwater can be a substantial N input in temperate forests of southern Chile. Deposition of organic N in Andes has been reported at 8.2 kg N ha-1 yr-1. This values is 11-fold higher than in the coast range (0.7 kg N ha-1 yr-1).