Effects of wildfire on long-term soil CO2 concentration: implications for karst processes

Wildfires reduce soil CO 2 concentration by destroying vegetation and soil-dwelling microbes, thus reducing soil respiration. Post-fire vegetation recovery is primarily determined by vegetation growth forms and modes of regeneration, whereas long-term recovery of soil microbes is largely dependent o...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Environmental earth sciences 2016-02, Vol.75 (4), p.1, Article 330
Main Authors: Coleborn, Katie, Spate, Andy, Tozer, Mark, Andersen, Martin S., Fairchild, Ian J., MacKenzie, Berin, Treble, Pauline C., Meehan, Sophia, Baker, Andrew, Baker, Andy
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Biogeochemistry
Biogeosciences
Carbon cycle
Earth and Environmental Science
Earth Sciences
Environmental Science and Engineering
Forest & brush fires
Geochemistry
Geology
Hydrology/Water Resources
Original Article
Paleoclimate science
Terrestrial Pollution
Citations: Items that this one cites
Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Wildfires reduce soil CO 2 concentration by destroying vegetation and soil-dwelling microbes, thus reducing soil respiration. Post-fire vegetation recovery is primarily determined by vegetation growth forms and modes of regeneration, whereas long-term recovery of soil microbes is largely dependent on vegetation rehabilitation. With previous research focussing on post-fire respiration recovery in the context of CO 2 flux between the soil and atmosphere, there is a lack of studies measuring the long-term response of soil CO 2 concentration in karst environments. Hence, this study aimed to quantify whether soil CO 2 concentration was reduced 5 and 10 years after fires in a karst environment and to consider the implications for karst dissolution processes and speleothem growth rate. Paired sites with burnt and unburnt soil were compared with regards to soil CO 2 concentration, soil temperature and soil moisture. Samples were taken from a grassland community and woodland community burnt 5 years prior and a forest community burnt 10 years prior. The results showed that soil respiration was depressed in the burnt site relative to the unburnt control in the woodland 5 years post-fire. A vegetation survey indicated that there substantially less biomass in the burnt site relative to the unburnt site. In the forest site 10 years post-fire there was no significant difference in soil CO 2 concentration or vegetation between the burnt and control. This demonstrates that soil CO 2 concentration takes >5 years to recover to pre-fire levels in woodlands and
ISSN:1866-6280
1866-6299
DOI:10.1007/s12665-015-4874-9