Nitrogen Overload Threatens Forests

New research reveals forests are losing their natural carbon-breathing rhythm due to nitrogen pollution from fertilizers, cars, and factories—tripling since the Industrial Revolution. Scientists once debated whether extra nitrogen helped or hurt soil respiration, but a global study using machine learning shows it’s not one-size-fits-all: nitrogen-poor forests get a short-term boost, while nitrogen-saturated ones suffer severe declines in microbial life and root activity. This is critical because soil respiration releases more carbon than all human fossil fuels combined—so cutting nitrogen pollution isn’t just eco-friendly, it’s essential for forest resilience and carbon storage. Support the show:Get a discount at https://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/8e11220654e99d93