Cuilcagh ammonia monitoring and foliar ammonium in vegetation.

Cuilcagh Mountain in County Fermanagh in Northern Ireland (NI)has been a Special Area of Conservation (SAC) since 2005 and is 2,751 ha in size. Cuilcagh Anierin Uplands in the Republic of Ireland (RoI) was designated a SAC in 1997 and is 9,736 ha. Together the two neighbouring SACs form one of the largest areas of upland blanket bog in Ireland. Northern Ireland suffers from the highest levels of atmospheric nitrogen input in the UK and Ireland. This has been shown to have noticeable and significant negative impacts on a range of species and habitats but particularly those found on peatlands. While much monitoring and research has been carried out in a number of lowland settings in Northern Ireland, there has been little monitoring in upland habitats to date. Cuilcagh Mountain and Cuilcagh Anierin Uplands SACs were identified as ideal candidates for monitoring to provide an insight into levels of atmospheric ammonia in an Irish upland setting. A study into the NH3 air concentrations and the effects of these on vegetation was carried out on Cuilcagh Mountain and Cuilcagh Anierin Uplands SAC’s. The project started with the establishing of the ALPHA® monitoring sites and the collection of moss samples in February 2020

Ballynahone Bog SAC Wind Data Analysis October 2020 to September 2021.

Local prevailing wind patterns play a key role in atmospheric nitrogen (N) input to designated sites, in terms of local ammonia (NH3) concentrations and N deposition originating from local, regional and transboundary sources. The aim of this study is to investigate local wind patterns and their temporal variability using locally measured weather data for the period October 2020 to September 2021 on Ballynahone Bog. These data were analysed in conjunction with NH3 measurements within and surrounding Ballynahone Bog SAC (Thomas et al. 2020; Williams et al. 2021). This report aims to assess local wind patterns for the period October 2020 to September 2021 and establish how local wind patterns influence NH3 concentrations on Ballynahone Bog

Atmospheric ammonia assessments on six designated sites in Northern Ireland. Year 1: June 2020 – May 2021

Report to DAERA NIEA (Project 07102). Atmospheric ammonia (NH3) gas concentrations were monitored on six designated sites of international and national importance (Special Areas of Conservation, SAC and Areas of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI)) across Northern Ireland, to assess threats from atmospheric nitrogen inputs. The monitoring strategy at each designated site aims to capture the high spatial variability of NH3 and any associated atmospheric concentration gradients away from sources, where the highest concentrations (and local sources) may be and where the largest ecosystem impacts are likely to occur. The sites are also part of the cross-border INTERREG Va funded Collaborative Action for the Natura Network (CANN) project (2017-2021), managed by the Special EU Programmes Body. The measurement data will provide supporting evidence to develop site-specific mitigation strategies, if necessary and appropriate. It is hypothesised that boundaries of a designated site that are closest to, and downwind of sources (e.g. intensive livestock units) will be exposed to the highest NH3 concentrations and therefore most at risk from adverse effects on sensitive vegetation. This report presents monthly NH3 measurements from the first year of monitoring, between June 2020 and May 2021

Atmospheric ammonia assessments on six designated sites in Northern Ireland. Report 2: June 2020 – May 2022

Prepared between the UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology (UKCEH) and the Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs (DAERA) Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA). Atmospheric ammonia (NH3) gas concentrations were monitored on six designated sites of international and national importance (Special Areas of Conservation, SAC and Areas of Special Scientific Interest (ASSI)) across Northern Ireland, to assess threats from atmospheric nitrogen inputs. A total of 37 NH3 monitoring points were established, with between 4 and 9 monitoring points on each of the six designated sites, depending on the size and complexity of each site. Monitoring was carried out at monthly intervals, with continuous time-integrated measurements made with passive UKCEH ALPHA® samplers. This report presents monthly NH3 measurements from two complete years of monitoring, between June 2020 and May 2022. Monthly measurements were aggregated to estimate annual average concentrations for the assessment of critical levels exceedance (annual thresholds). The monthly monitoring periods also enabled the construction of seasonal profiles across the sites, which is helpful for identifying peak emission periods as well as likely source types (for example, slurry spreading activities during spring

Atmospheric ammonia, acid gas and aerosol monitoring in Northern Ireland. Year 1: March 2019 - February 2020

ALPHA® and DELTA® network A new network of 25 ammonia (NH3) monitoring sites implementing the UKCEH ALPHA® method (ALPHA® network) and 4 reactive gases and aerosols monitoring sites implementing the UKCEH DELTA® method (DELTA® network) was established in spring 2019 across Northern Ireland. The ALPHA® sites were selected to provide representative coverage of i) the range of modelled concentrations from FRAME (using the most recent 5 km NH3 emissions data for 2016), (ii) each of seven major dominant emission source classifications: cattle (beef and dairy), pigs & poultry, sheep, mixed, non-agricultural, fertiliser and background (very low emission density, < 1 kg N ha-1 yr-1), and (iii) spatial coverage across Northern Ireland. The aims of the measurements are to (i) explore spatial and temporal patterns in NH3 concentrations, (ii) compare results with the FRAME atmospheric transport model and for verification of UK NAEI emissions inventory and FRAME model, (iii) monitor and assess relationship between NH3 and interacting gases (HNO3, SO2) and inorganic particulate phase composition. Measurement data over the same period from existing UK long-term national network sites (Coleraine, Hillsborough, Lough Navar), and from the Ballynahone Bog project in Northern Ireland are also included in the report, to complement the network data. All measurements are made through monthly time-integrated sampling, which is cost-efficient for providing annual means while permitting detection of seasonal trends in the data. The first measurements in the ALPHA® and DELTA® networks started in early March 2019. The first full year of ratified monthly ALPHA® and DELTA® data for the period March 2019 – February 2020 are presented in this report. Calibration of ALPHA® NH3 data An annual field calibrated ALPHA® uptake rate is derived for each calendar year from the regression of passive ALPHA® versus active DELTA® measurements at nine inter-comparison sites in the UK National Ammonia Monitoring Network. The calibration is usually carried out in April each year, based on a full year of data from the preceding year. The updated uptake rate is then applied retrospectively to ALPHA® data for the year of calibration. Calibrated uptake rates derived from the UK national network are applied to the Northern Ireland ALPHA® network data. These were 0.0031665 m3 h-1 and 0.0031277 m3 h-1, for 2019 and 2020, respectively. At AFBI25 Hillsborough, ALPHA® and DELTA® measurement are co-located with parallel measurements

Fenn’s, Whixall, Bettisfield, Wem & Cadney Mosses. Atmospheric ammonia monitoring data report for period: Jul 2018 – Dec 2018

Three atmospheric ammonia (NH3) measurement sites were established on Fenn’s, Whixall, Bettisfield, Wem and Cadney Mosses SSSi in 2018 to monitor NH3 during implementation of Site Nitrogen Action Plan (SNAP), as part of the LIFE project. NH3 data from the three sites for the six monthly measurement periods between July and December 2018 have been analysed and are presented in this report. NH3 data from former NAMN Fenn’s Moss (S52B and S52C) and Wem Moss (S48) sites and from an active NAMN Fenn;s Moss (S52A) site are also included for comparison and to extend the time series. Monitored mean concentrations for the 6 months period from July to Dec 2018 were: MM1 = 2.64 µg NH3 m-3 (1.89 – 3.47 µg NH3 m-3, N = 6) MM2 = 6.15 µg NH3 m-3 (3.09 – 15.5 µg NH3 m-3, N = 6) MM3 = 3.28 µg NH3 m-3 (2.25 – 4.31 µg NH3 m-3, N = 6) By comparison, mean concentration for the UK NAMN site S52A (centre of Fenn’s Moss) over the same period was 3.53 µg NH3 m-3 (1.95 – 5.45 µg NH3 m-3, N = 6). The UNECE Critical Levels of NH3 concentrations of 1 µg NH3 m-3 annual mean for the protection of lichens-bryophytes, relevant for the habitat under study, was exceeded at all sites