The Transgression of the Planetary Nitrogen Boundary. What is Germanys Internal and External Contribution?

Bachelor Thesis from the year 2016 in the subject Geography / Earth Science - Cartography, Geographic Information Science and Geodesy, grade: 1,7, Humboldt-University of Berlin (Potsdam-Institut für Klimafolgenforschung), language: English, abstract: This work tries to answer the question of Germanys contribution to agricultural sources, through the total consumption of products and services. An environmentally-extended multi-regional input-output ("MRIO") analysis is applied to track and account, direct and indirect, N-fertilizer use through international supply chains in 2007. From the resulting 31 kg N/cap consumption based N-fertilizer use, 60% are embodied in imports and 40 % used internally. Comparing consumption based and production based val-ues shows, that Germany is a net-importing country of embodied N-fertilizer use with + 9 kg N/cap. The total amount of N-fertilizer used for domestic production, imports and exports is 41 kg N/cap. Due to low long-term storage of Nr in the agricultural system, Nr sources cor-respond approximately to Nr losses (Rockstrِm et al. 2009, Bodirsky et al. 2014) that can cause (multiple; but not linearly-dependent) environmental impacts (Galloway et al. 2003, Bodirsky et al. 2014). Complexities from the nitrogen cascade (Galloway et al. 2008) and social-economic dynamics puts also locally manifested N- boundary processes on a global scale (Hنyhن et al. 2014, 7), challenging (consumption based) national bottom up boundaries in view of external N-flows. A "footprint"/boundary perspective that compares current na-tional consumption based shoe sizes, per capita, with an equal, per capita, share of the PB N could provide a relevant estimation of the needed reductions to return to the safe operating space. For Germany a transgression of 270-310%, of which approximately two thirds is ex-ternal, and one third internal Nr from human intended fixation processes, is found. It can be concluded that German consumption drives substantial