Global regionalized characterization factors for phosphorus and nitrogen impacts on freshwater fish biodiversity

Abstract

Inefficient global nutrient (i.e., phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N)) management leads to an increase in nutrient delivery to freshwater and coastal ecosystems and induces eutrophication in these aquatic environments. This process threatens the various species inhabiting these ecosystems. In this study, we developed regionalized characterization factors (CFs) for freshwater eutrophication at 0.5 × 0.5-degree resolution, considering different fates for direct emissions to freshwater, diffuse emissions, and increased erosion due to agricultural land use. The CFs were provided for global and regional species loss of freshwater fish. CFs for global species loss were quantified by integrating global extinction probabilities. Results showed that the CFs for P and N impacts on freshwater fish are higher in densely populated regions that encompass either large lakes or the headwaters of large rivers. Focusing on nutrient-limited areas increases country-level CFs in 51.9 % of the countries for P and 49.5 % of the countries for N compared to not considering nutrient limitation. This study highlights the relevance of considering freshwater eutrophication impacts via both P and N emissions and identifying the limiting nutrient when performing life cycle impact assessments.