GBIF database information about the spatial and temporal evolution of nitrophilous herbaceous plants (186 taxa), mosses (44 taxa) and lichens (78 taxa) in Spain from 1900 to 2008. Nordin, et al., 2011

A nitrophilous index was calculated using over 750,000 occurrence records of plants that had been indexed at GBIF for the Iberian Peninsula by March, 2009. To construct this index, the annual number of records of nitrophilous taxa was obtained for the period 1900-2008. Next, the obtained value was divided by the total number of plant records documented every year, obtaining a nondimensional index representing the proportion of nitrophilous plants for each year of study. The bioindicator index developed by the study showed a continuous increase of nitrophilous plants for the period 1900-2008, thus suggesting a change in biodiversity composition related to nitrogen enrichment in ecosystems. This increase seemed to peak in the 1970 and 1980 decades, decreasing slightly in the last decade of the 20th century, and increasing again in the first decade of the 21st century.

Nitrogen Deposition and Natura 2000