Foreword
I am delighted to see this book, Atmospheric Reactive Nitrogen in China: Emission,
Deposition and Environmental Impacts, published following 3 years of hard work
by the editors, Prof. Dr. Xuejun Liu and Dr. Enzai Du, and the many other chapter
contributors. I first met Prof. Liu in October 2013 during an annual US National
Atmospheric Deposition Program meeting at Park City, Utah, where he presented
ground-breaking research on atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition in China. I was
highly impressed by his group’s work, and we quickly found ourselves with many
common and complementary interests. Following that meeting, we forged numerous
connections and collaborations, yielding several joint publications. Although I had
previously conducted research in China, it was from Dr. Liu that I learned most
about China’s atmospheric reduced N challenges and the contributing agricultural
practices. Prof. Liu later introduced me to Dr. Enzai Du, the other editor, and in
September 2015, I joined Dr. Du in an international N workshop that Prof. Liu
organized in Beijing. It was during this workshop that Prof. Liu and Dr. Du agreed to
publish an integrated book concerning atmospheric reactive N in China. The decision to pursue this book was taken because the creation of reactive N and overuse of
N fertilizer in China has caused numerous environmental problems. These include
soil acidification, N deposition exceeding critical loads, serious eutrophication, and
extensive greenhouse gas emissions. Undertaking a major book project is always
ambitious, and it’s tremendous to see their plans now become a reality.
The book, containing important contributions from numerous N experts
representing many leading Chinese institutions, thoroughly describes the latest
progress in atmospheric reactive N emissions and deposition and their
eco-environmental impacts in China. It is, for many reasons, the right time to publish
such a synthesis on reactive N, not least of which is that China, as a nation, is seeking
green agricultural development through an integrated, lifecycle approach to environmental sustainability. This book will be helpful for the students, professors, and
other scientists in the environmental and agricultural sciences, in China and beyond.
It also offers important information and practical lessons for policymakers as they
seek to better manage N in agricultural and nonagricultural sectors and protect the
v
I am delighted to see this book, Atmospheric Reactive Nitrogen in China: Emission,
Deposition and Environmental Impacts, published following 3 years of hard work
by the editors, Prof. Dr. Xuejun Liu and Dr. Enzai Du, and the many other chapter
contributors. I first met Prof. Liu in October 2013 during an annual US National
Atmospheric Deposition Program meeting at Park City, Utah, where he presented
ground-breaking research on atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition in China. I was
highly impressed by his group’s work, and we quickly found ourselves with many
common and complementary interests. Following that meeting, we forged numerous
connections and collaborations, yielding several joint publications. Although I had
previously conducted research in China, it was from Dr. Liu that I learned most
about China’s atmospheric reduced N challenges and the contributing agricultural
practices. Prof. Liu later introduced me to Dr. Enzai Du, the other editor, and in
September 2015, I joined Dr. Du in an international N workshop that Prof. Liu
organized in Beijing. It was during this workshop that Prof. Liu and Dr. Du agreed to
publish an integrated book concerning atmospheric reactive N in China. The decision to pursue this book was taken because the creation of reactive N and overuse of
N fertilizer in China has caused numerous environmental problems. These include
soil acidification, N deposition exceeding critical loads, serious eutrophication, and
extensive greenhouse gas emissions. Undertaking a major book project is always
ambitious, and it’s tremendous to see their plans now become a reality.
The book, containing important contributions from numerous N experts
representing many leading Chinese institutions, thoroughly describes the latest
progress in atmospheric reactive N emissions and deposition and their
eco-environmental impacts in China. It is, for many reasons, the right time to publish
such a synthesis on reactive N, not least of which is that China, as a nation, is seeking
green agricultural development through an integrated, lifecycle approach to environmental sustainability. This book will be helpful for the students, professors, and
other scientists in the environmental and agricultural sciences, in China and beyond.
It also offers important information and practical lessons for policymakers as they
seek to better manage N in agricultural and nonagricultural sectors and protect the
v