High fire-derived nitrogen deposition on central African forests

Atmospheric N deposition affects productivity and biodiversity of forests worldwide. However, field-based estimates of atmospheric N deposition for tropical forests are extremely sparse. Our results from a monitoring network in the central Congo Basin exceed current regional N deposition simulations. Ultrahigh-resolution mass spectrometry and modeling techniques reveal that savannah biomass burning is the main source for this elevated atmospheric N deposition. Furthermore, a large fraction is deposited as organic N, which is typically not simulated or measured in monitoring networks. These high levels of N deposition have clear ramifications for the ecology and biogeochemistry of the Congo Basin.