The response of forest ecosystems to increased atmospheric CO 2 is constrained by nutrient availability. It is thus crucial to account for nutrient limitation when studying the forest response to climate change. The objectives of this study were to describe the nutritional status of the main European tree species, to identify growth‐limiting nutrients and to assess changes in tree nutrition during the past two decades. We anal...

We studied forest monitoring data collected at permanent plots in Italy over the period 2000–2009 to identify the possible impact of nitrogen (N) deposition on soil chemistry, tree nutrition and growth. Average N throughfall (N‐NO 3 +N‐NH 4 ) ranged between 4 and 29 kg ha −1 yr −1 , with Critical Loads (CLs) for nutrient N exceeded at several sites. Evidence is consistent in pointing out effects of N deposition on soil and tre...