“…The increase nitrification leads to higher rates of NO 3 leaching (Fenn and Poth, 1999;Meixner and Fenn, 2004), a decline in soil pH ' Wood et al, 2007, and an increase in nitric oxide (NO) emission (Anderson and Poth, 1989;Fenn et al, 1996). In turn, increases in N availability consistently lead to tissue and litter N-enrichment and a decline in C:N ratios, especially when N inputs are sustained over a long period of time (Fenn et al, 2003b;Vourlitis et al, 2007b). Nitrogen-enrichment has also lead to changes in plant species composition , and often, an increase in the abundance of annual plants, especially non-native grasses (Minnich and Dezzani, 1998;Pasquini and Vourlitis, 2010;Sirulnik et al, 2007).…”