Fire alters soil labile stoichiometry and litter nutrients in Australian eucalypt forests

2017 ◽  
Vol 26 (9) ◽  
pp. 783 ◽  
Author(s):  
Orpheus M. Butler ◽  
Tom Lewis ◽  
Chengrong Chen
Keyword(s):  
Fire History ◽  
Fire Regime ◽  
Fire Effects ◽  
Soil System ◽  
Soil C ◽  
Burned Areas ◽  
Plant Soil ◽  
Forest Sites ◽  
Soil Stoichiometry ◽  
Eucalypt Forests

Ecological stoichiometry may be used to investigate the impacts of fire regime, as fire regime can influence the cycling and balance of elements within forest ecosystems. We investigated the effects of fire history on soil and litter stoichiometry in four forest sites in Queensland, Australia. Soil and litter in recently burned areas were compared with those in areas with no recent fire. Effects of burning on concentrations and ratios of multiple pools of carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in soil varied between sites, indicating that site and fire regime characteristics regulate these responses. Labile pools of soil C, N and P were more responsive to burning than total pools, and labile soil C:P and N:P ratios tended to be lower in recently burned areas, consistent with our expectations. These changes suggest that the disparate volatilisation temperatures of these elements influence post-fire soil stoichiometry, and that P cycling may be enhanced in some post-fire environments. Fire-induced changes to litter chemistry were not consistent with soil effects, although litter was generally nutrient-enriched in recently burned areas. Our results reveal the potential for fire to alter elemental balances and thus modify C and nutrient cycling in the plant–soil system.

The contradictory role of fire from the nature conservation perspective

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Orsolya Valkó
Keyword(s):  
Nature Conservation ◽  
Land Surface ◽  
Fire History ◽  
Prescribed Burning ◽  
Fire Regime ◽  
Fire Regimes ◽  
Fire Effects ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Fire Policy

<p>Fire is a globally relevant natural or anthropogenic phenomenon with a rapidly increasing importance in the era of the climate change. In each year, approximately 4% of the global land surface burns. For effective ecosystem conservation, we need to understand fire regimes, identify potential threats, and also the possibilities in the application of prescribed burning for maintaining ecosystems.</p><p>Here I provide an overview on the contradictory role of fire in nature conservation from two continents with contrasting fire histories, focusing on European and North-American grasslands. I show that the ecological effects of fire depend on the fire regime, fire history, ecosystem properties and the socio-economic environment. Catastrophic wildfires, arson, too frequent or improperly planned human-induced fire often lead to the degradation of the ecosystems, the disappearance of rare plant and animal species, and to the encroachment of weed and invasive species. I illustrate with examples that these negative fire effects act synergistically with the human-induced changes in land use systems.</p><p>I also underline with case studies that in both regions, properly designed and controlled prescribed burning regimes can aid the understanding and managing disturbance-dependent ecosystems. Conservation in these dynamic and complex ecosystems is far more than fencing and hoping to exclude disturbance; but the contrary: disturbance is needed for ecosystem functioning. Therefore, the conservation of dynamic, diverse and functioning ecosystems often require drastic interventions and an unconventional conservation attitude. However, the expanding urban-wildlife interface makes the application of prescribed burning challenging worldwide. A major message for the future is about fire policy: it is crucial to moderate the negative effects of fire, however, properly designed prescribed burning should be used as a tool for managing and conserving disturbance-dependent ecosystems.</p>

scholarly journals Synthetic Constraint of Soil C Dynamics Using 50 Years of 14C and Net Primary Production (NPP) in a New Zealand Grassland Site

Radiocarbon ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 55 (2) ◽  
pp. 1071-1076 ◽  
Author(s):  
W Troy Baisden ◽  
E D Keller
Keyword(s):  
Time Series ◽  
New Zealand ◽  
Net Primary Productivity ◽  
Net Primary Production ◽  
Turnover Rates ◽  
Full Data ◽  
Soil System ◽  
Soil C ◽  
Plant Soil ◽  
C Cycle

Time-series radiocarbon measurements have substantial ability to constrain the size and residence time of the soil C pools commonly represented in ecosystem models. 14C remains unique in its ability to constrain the size and turnover rate of the large stabilized soil C pool with roughly decadal residence times. The Judgeford soil, near Wellington, New Zealand, provides a detailed 11-point 14C time series enabling observation of the incorporation and loss of bomb 14C in surface soil from 1959–2002. Calculations of the flow of C through the plant-soil system can be improved further by combining the known constraints of net primary productivity (NPP) and 14C-derived C turnover. We show the Biome-BGC model provides good estimates of NPP for the Judgeford site and estimates NPP from 1956–2010. Synthesis of NPP and 14C data allows parameters associated with the rapid turnover “active” soil C pool to be estimated. This step is important because it demonstrates that NPP and 14C can provide full data-based constraint of pool sizes and turnover rates for the 3 pools of soil C used in nearly all ecosystem and global C-cycle models.

Seasonal allocation of photosynthetically fixed carbon to the soybean-grown Mollisols in Northeast China

2011 ◽  
Vol 62 (7) ◽  
pp. 563 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Jin ◽  
G. H. Wang ◽  
J. D. Liu ◽  
X. B. Liu ◽  
J. J. Liu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Northeast China ◽  
Sharp Decrease ◽  
Growing Season ◽  
Growth Stages ◽  
Soil System ◽  
Soil C ◽  
Plant Soil ◽  
Labelling Experiment ◽  
Soybean Plants ◽  
Net Assimilation

The knowledge of the contribution of carbon (C) released by growing roots to soil is essential to better understand the terrestrial C cycling and optimally manage soil organic matter in ecosystems. However, little information has been gained on quantifying the distribution of photosynthetically fixed C in the plant–soil system and its contribution to soil C over a growing season in soybean-grown Mollisols, the main soil type in Northeast China. In a pulse-chase labelling experiment, soybean plants grown in Mollisols were labelled with 13CO2 at various growth stages. More than 3/4 of fixed 13C was observed in shoots at Day 0 after labelling, and then the fixed 13C was continually exported from shoots, showing that 7.5% of 13C fixed at V4 (fourth node) and 71.1% at R6 (full seed stage) remained in shoots by the end of the growing season. The 13C recovery in roots decreased over the same period, while soil 13C was significantly increased. The allocation of 13C fixed at different growth stages to underground (roots and soil) varied at the end of the growing season, showing that 13C retained in roots and soil was 6.0 and 12.4% of the net assimilation at V4, compared with 1.4 and 2.1% of that at R6, respectively. Nodules, however, had the highest demand for C at R4 (full pod stage). The contribution of shoot C assimilation to the soil C pool was similar at the growth stages up to R5 before a sharp decrease at R6, and the cumulative contribution reached 93% at R5. Over the whole growing season, it was estimated that ~210 kg of photosynthetically fixed C per ha was accumulated in soil. This indicates that the C flow from soybean plants to soil during growth is a non-negligible source of C pool in Mollisols, and the majority of the C efflux occurs during V4–R5.

Fire regimes and post-fire evolution of burned areas in selected plant biomes of the planet studying the phenology of the landscape with time series of satellite images

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nikos Koutsias ◽  
Anastasia Karamitsou ◽  
Foula Nioti ◽  
Frank Coutelieris
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Time Series ◽  
Satellite Imagery ◽  
Satellite Images ◽  
Fire History ◽  
Fire Regime ◽  
Fire Regimes ◽  
Burned Areas ◽  
History Of ◽  
Sentinel 2

<p>Plant biomes and climatic zones are characterized by a specific type of fire regime which can be determined from the history of fires in the area and it is a synergy mainly of the climatic conditions and the functional characteristics of the types of vegetation. They correspond also to specific phenology types, a feature that can be useful for various applications related to vegetation monitoring, especially when remote sensing methods are used. Both the assessment of fire regime from the reconstruction of fire history and the monitoring of post-fire evolution of the burned areas can be studied with satellite remote sensing based on satellite time series images. The free availability of (i) Landsat satellite imagery by US Geological Survey (USGS, (ii) Sentinel-2 satellite imagery by ESA and (iii) MODIS satellite imagery by NASA / USGS allow low-cost data acquisition and processing (eg 1984-present) which otherwise would require very high costs. The purpose of this work is to determine the fire regime as well as the patterns of post-fire evolution of burned areas in selected vegetation/climate zones for the entire planet by studying the phenology of the landscape with time series of satellite images. More specifically, the three research questions we are negotiating are: (i) the reconstruction of the history of fires in the period 1984-2017 and the determination of fire regimes with Landsat and Sentinel-2 satellite data , (ii) the assessment of pre-fire phenological pattern of vegetation and (iii) the monitoring and comparative evaluation of post-fire evolution patterns of the burned areas.</p><p><strong>Acknowledgements</strong></p><p>This research has been co-financed by the Operational Program "Human Resources Development, Education and Lifelong Learning" and is co-financed by the European Union (European Social Fund) and Greek national funds.</p><p> </p>

scholarly journals Using the Landsat Burned Area Products to Derive Fire History Relevant for Fire Management and Conservation in the State of Florida, Southeastern USA

Fire ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 26
Author(s):  
Casey Teske ◽  
Melanie K. Vanderhoof ◽  
Todd J. Hawbaker ◽  
Joe Noble ◽  
John Kevin Hiers
Keyword(s):  
Prescribed Fire ◽  
Spatial Data ◽  
Fire History ◽  
Fire Management ◽  
Fire Behavior ◽  
Fire Risk ◽  
Behavior Modeling ◽  
Burned Area ◽  
Burned Areas ◽  
Burn Probability

Development of comprehensive spatially explicit fire occurrence data remains one of the most critical needs for fire managers globally, and especially for conservation across the southeastern United States. Not only are many endangered species and ecosystems in that region reliant on frequent fire, but fire risk analysis, prescribed fire planning, and fire behavior modeling are sensitive to fire history due to the long growing season and high vegetation productivity. Spatial data that map burned areas over time provide critical information for evaluating management successes. However, existing fire data have undocumented shortcomings that limit their use when detailing the effectiveness of fire management at state and regional scales. Here, we assessed information in existing fire datasets for Florida and the Landsat Burned Area products based on input from the fire management community. We considered the potential of different datasets to track the spatial extents of fires and derive fire history metrics (e.g., time since last burn, fire frequency, and seasonality). We found that burned areas generated by applying a 90% threshold to the Landsat burn probability product matched patterns recorded and observed by fire managers at three pilot areas. We then created fire history metrics for the entire state from the modified Landsat Burned Area product. Finally, to show their potential application for conservation management, we compared fire history metrics across ownerships for natural pinelands, where prescribed fire is frequently applied. Implications of this effort include increased awareness around conservation and fire management planning efforts and an extension of derivative products regionally or globally.

scholarly journals Soil-vegetation relationships in Mediterranean forests after fire

2021 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Víctor Fernández-García ◽  
Elena Marcos ◽  
Sara Huerta ◽  
Leonor Calvo
Keyword(s):  
Soil Properties ◽  
Mediterranean Ecosystems ◽  
Fire Effects ◽  
Mediterranean Forests ◽  
Vegetation Growth ◽  
Burned Areas ◽  
Vegetation Height ◽  
P Content ◽  
Study Sites ◽  
Soil Status

Abstract Background Wildfires are one of the major environmental concerns in Mediterranean ecosystems. Thus, many studies have addressed wildfire impacts on soil and vegetation in Mediterranean forests, but the linkages between these ecosystem compartments after fire are not well understood. The aim of this work is to analyze soil-vegetation relationships in Mediterranean burned forests as well as the consistency of these relationships among forests with different environmental conditions, at different times after fire, and among vegetation with different functional traits. Results Our results indicate that study site conditions play an important role in mediating soil-vegetation relationships. Likewise, we found that the nature of soil-vegetation relationships may vary over time as fire effects are less dominant in both ecosystem compartments. Despite this, we detected several common soil-vegetation relationships among study sites and times after fire. For instance, our results revealed that available P content and stoichiometry (C:P and N:P) were closely linked to vegetation growth, and particularly to the growth of trees. We found that enzymatic activities and microbial biomass were inversely related to vegetation growth rates, whereas the specific activities of soil enzymes were higher in the areas with more vegetation height and cover. Likewise, our results suggest that resprouters may influence soil properties more than seeders, the growth of seeders being more dependent on soil status. Conclusions We provide pioneer insights into how vegetation is influenced by soil, and vice-versa, in Mediterranean burned areas. Our results reflect variability in soil-vegetation relationships among study sites and time after fire, but consistent patterns between soil properties and vegetation were also detected. Our research is highly relevant to advance in forest science and could be useful to achieve efficient post-fire management.

Fire regime shift linked to increased forest density in a piñon–juniper savanna landscape

2014 ◽  
Vol 23 (2) ◽  
pp. 234 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ellis Q. Margolis
Keyword(s):  
Regime Shift ◽  
Fire History ◽  
Fire Regime ◽  
Fire Regimes ◽  
Fire Frequency ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Tree Density ◽  
High Severity ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
In Fire

Piñon–juniper (PJ) fire regimes are generally characterised as infrequent high-severity. However, PJ ecosystems vary across a large geographic and bio-climatic range and little is known about one of the principal PJ functional types, PJ savannas. It is logical that (1) grass in PJ savannas could support frequent, low-severity fire and (2) exclusion of frequent fire could explain increased tree density in PJ savannas. To assess these hypotheses I used dendroecological methods to reconstruct fire history and forest structure in a PJ-dominated savanna. Evidence of high-severity fire was not observed. From 112 fire-scarred trees I reconstructed 87 fire years (1547–1899). Mean fire interval was 7.8 years for fires recorded at ≥2 sites. Tree establishment was negatively correlated with fire frequency (r=–0.74) and peak PJ establishment was synchronous with dry (unfavourable) conditions and a regime shift (decline) in fire frequency in the late 1800s. The collapse of the grass-fuelled, frequent, surface fire regime in this PJ savanna was likely the primary driver of current high tree density (mean=881treesha–1) that is >600% of the historical estimate. Variability in bio-climatic conditions likely drive variability in fire regimes across the wide range of PJ ecosystems.

Fire regimes and vegetation sensitivity analysis: an example from Bradshaw Station, monsoonal northern Australia

2003 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 349 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cameron Yates ◽  
Jeremy Russell-Smith
Keyword(s):  
Fire History ◽  
Fire Regime ◽  
Landscape Scale ◽  
Fire Season ◽  
Individual Species ◽  
Northern Australia ◽  
Sensitive Species ◽  
Obligate Seeder ◽  
Return Interval ◽  
Noaa Avhrr

The fire-prone savannas of northern Australia comprise a matrix of mostly fire-resilient vegetation types, with embedded fire-sensitive species and communities particularly in rugged sandstone habitats. This paper addresses the assessment of fire-sensitivity at the landscape scale, drawing on detailed fire history and vegetation data assembled for one large property of 9100�km2, Bradshaw Station in the Top End of the Northern Territory, Australia. We describe (1) the contemporary fire regime for Bradshaw Station for a 10 year period; (2) the distribution and status of 'fire sensitive' vegetation; and (3) an assessment of fire-sensitivity at the landscape scale. Fire-sensitive species (FSS) were defined as obligate seeder species with minimum maturation periods of at least 3 years. The recent fire history for Bradshaw Station was derived from the interpretation of fine resolution Landsat MSS and Landsat TM imagery, supplemented with mapping from coarse resolution NOAA-AVHRR imagery where cloud had obstructed the use of Landsat images late in the fire season (typically October–November). Validation assessments of fire mapping accuracy were conducted in 1998 and 1999. On average 40% of Bradshaw burnt annually with about half of this, 22%, occurring after August (Late Dry Season LDS), and 65% of the property burnt 4 or more times, over the 10 year period; 89% of Bradshaw Station had a minimum fire return interval of less than 3 years in the study period. The derived fire seasonality, frequency and return interval data were assessed with respect to landscape units (landsystems). The largest landsystem, Pinkerton (51%, mostly sandstone) was burnt 41% on average, with about 70% burnt four times or more, over the 10 year period. Assessment of the fire-sensitivity of individual species was undertaken with reference to data assembled for 345 vegetation plots, herbarium records, and an aerial survey of the distribution of the long-lived obligate-seeder tree species Callitris intratropica. A unique list of 1310 plant species was attributed with regenerative characteristics (i.e. habit, perenniality, resprouting capability, time to seed maturation). The great majority of FSS species were restricted to rugged sandstone landforms. The approach has wider application for assessing landscape fire-sensitivity and associated landscape health in savanna landscapes in northern Australia, and elsewhere.

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