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Dou X, Hu T, Köster K, Sun A, Li G, Yue Y, Sun L, Ding Y. Temporal dynamics of soil dissolved organic carbon in temperate forest managed by prescribed burning in Northeast China. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 237:117065. [PMID: 37660872 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2023.117065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2023] [Revised: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 08/31/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023]
Abstract
Dissolved organic carbon (DOC) is an important function of soil organic carbon and sensitive to environmental disturbance. Few studies have explored the variations in soil DOC dynamics and effects on soil physicochemical properties following prescribed burnings. In this study, Pinus koraiensis plantation forests in Northeast China were selected and subjected to prescribed burning in early November 2018. Soil DOC and different soil physicochemical and biological properties in the 0-10 cm and 10-20 cm soil layers were sampled six times within two years after a prescribed burning. In this study, some soil physicochemical (SOC, TN, and ST) and microbial biomass properties (MBC) recovered within two years after a prescribed burning. Compared to the unburned control stands, the post-fire soil DOC concentrations in the upper and lower soil layers increased by 16% and 12%, respectively. Soil DOC concentrations varied with sampling time, and peaked one year after the prescribed burning. Our results showed that soil chemical properties (NH4+-N and pH) rather than biological properties (microbial biomass) were the main driving factors for changes in post-fire soil DOC concentrations. Current study provides an important reference for post-fire and seasonal soil C cycling in plantation forests of Northeast China.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xu Dou
- Key Laboratory of Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Management-Ministry of Education, College of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, 26 Hexing Road, 150040, Harbin, China
| | - Tongxin Hu
- Key Laboratory of Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Management-Ministry of Education, College of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, 26 Hexing Road, 150040, Harbin, China
| | - Kajar Köster
- Department of Environmental and Biological Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, 80101, Joensuu, Finland
| | - Aobo Sun
- Liaoning Academy of Agricultural Sciences, 84 Dongling Road, 110161, Shenyang, China
| | - Guangxin Li
- Key Laboratory of Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Management-Ministry of Education, College of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, 26 Hexing Road, 150040, Harbin, China
| | - Yang Yue
- Key Laboratory of Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Management-Ministry of Education, College of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, 26 Hexing Road, 150040, Harbin, China
| | - Long Sun
- Key Laboratory of Sustainable Forest Ecosystem Management-Ministry of Education, College of Forestry, Northeast Forestry University, 26 Hexing Road, 150040, Harbin, China.
| | - Yiyang Ding
- Department of Forest Sciences/ Institute for Atmospheric Sciences and Earth System Research (INAR), Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
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2
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Fernández-Guisuraga JM, Marcos E, Sáenz de Miera LE, Ansola G, Pinto R, Calvo L. Short-term responses of ecosystem multifunctionality to fire severity are modulated by fire-induced impacts on plant and soil microbial communities. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2023; 898:165477. [PMID: 37451468 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.165477] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2023] [Revised: 07/08/2023] [Accepted: 07/09/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023]
Abstract
This study represents a first attempt to shed light into the mechanisms that modulate the response of ecosystem multifunctionality (EMF) to fire severity in post-fire landscapes. We specifically investigated the role played by fire-induced changes on above and belowground communities in the modulation of EMF responses at short-term after fire. For this purpose, we estimated EMF using an averaging approach from three ecosystem functions (carbon regulation, decomposition and soil fertility) and their standardized functional indicators in field plots burned at low and high fire severity 1-year after a wildfire occurred in a Mediterranean ecosystem in the central region of Spain. Plant taxonomic and functional richness, and the bacterial and fungal taxonomic richness, were measured in the plots as community properties with a potential intermediate control over fire severity effects on EMF. The ecological effects of fire severity on above and belowground communities were important in shaping EMF as evidenced by Structural Equation Modeling (SEM). Indeed, the evidenced shrinkage exerted by high fire severity on EMF at short-term after fire was not direct, but modulated by fire-induced effects on the plant functional richness and the microbial taxonomic richness. However, EMF variation was more strongly modulated by indirect effects of fire severity on the biodiversity of soil microbial communities, than by the effects on the plant communities. Particularly, the fungal community exerted the strongest intermediate control (standardized SEM β coefficient = 0.62), which can be linked to the differential response of bacterial (β = -0.36) and fungal (β = -0.84) communities to fire severity evidenced here. Our findings demonstrate that the effects of fire severity on above and belowground communities are important drivers of short-term ecosystem functioning. Efforts tailored to secure the provision of multiple functions should be focused on promoting the recovery on soil microbial communities under high-severity scenarios.
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Affiliation(s)
- José Manuel Fernández-Guisuraga
- Centro de Investigação e de Tecnologias Agroambientais e Biológicas, Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal; Departamento de Biodiversidad y Gestión Ambiental, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales, Universidad de León, 24071 León, Spain.
| | - Elena Marcos
- Departamento de Biodiversidad y Gestión Ambiental, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales, Universidad de León, 24071 León, Spain
| | - Luis E Sáenz de Miera
- Departamento de Biología Molecular, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales, Universidad de León, 24071 León, Spain
| | - Gemma Ansola
- Departamento de Biodiversidad y Gestión Ambiental, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales, Universidad de León, 24071 León, Spain
| | - Rayo Pinto
- Departamento de Biodiversidad y Gestión Ambiental, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales, Universidad de León, 24071 León, Spain
| | - Leonor Calvo
- Departamento de Biodiversidad y Gestión Ambiental, Facultad de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales, Universidad de León, 24071 León, Spain
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3
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Ghosh A, Singh AK, Das B, Modak K, Kumar RV, Kumar S, Gautam K, Biswas DR, Roy AK. Resiliencies of soil phosphorus fractions after natural summer fire are governed by microbial activity and cation availability in a semi-arid Inceptisol. ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH 2023; 216:114583. [PMID: 36265602 DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2022.114583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/22/2022] [Revised: 09/17/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 06/16/2023]
Abstract
The unintended impact of natural summer fire on soil is complicated and rather less studied than its above-ground impact. Recognising the impact of a fire on silvopastoral soils and their resilience can aid in improving the management of silvopastoral systems. We studied the immediate (after 1 week (W)) and short-term (after 3 months (M)) recovery of different soil biological and chemical properties after the natural fire, with specific emphasis on phosphorus (P) dynamics. Soil samples were collected from four different layers (0-15, 15-30, 30-45, and 45-60 cm) of Morus alba, Leucaena leucocephala, and Ficus infectoria based silvopastoral systems. In the 0-15 cm soil layer, soil organic carbon (SOC) declined by ∼37, 42, and 30% after the fire in Morus-, Leucaena-, and Ficus-based systems, respectively within 1W of fire. However, after 3M of fire, Morus and Leucaena regained ∼6 and 11.5% SOC as compared to their status after 1W in the 0-15 cm soil layer. After 1W of the fire, soil nitrogen (N), sulfur (S), and potassium availability declined significantly at 0-15 cm soil layer in all systems. Iron and manganese availability improved significantly after 1W of the fire. Saloid bound P and aluminium bound P declined significantly immediately after the fire, increasing availability in all systems. However, calcium bound P did not change significantly after the fire. Dehydrogenase and alkaline phosphatase activity declined significantly after the fire, however, phenol oxidase and peroxidase activity were unaltered. Resiliencies of these soil properties were significantly impacted by soil depth and time. Path analysis indicated microbial activity and cationic micronutrients majorly governed the resilience of soil P fractions and P availability. Pasture yield was not significantly improved after the fire, so natural summer fire must be prevented to avoid loss of SOC, N, and S.
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Affiliation(s)
- Avijit Ghosh
- ICAR-IGFRI, Jhansi, 284003, India; ICAR-IARI, New Delhi, 110012, India.
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - A K Roy
- ICAR-IGFRI, Jhansi, 284003, India
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4
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Kuzmina D, Lim AG, Loiko SV, Pokrovsky OS. Experimental assessment of tundra fire impact on element export and storage in permafrost peatlands. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 853:158701. [PMID: 36108862 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Revised: 09/07/2022] [Accepted: 09/08/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Extensive studies have been performed on wildfire impact on terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems in the taiga biome, however consequences of wildfires in the tundra biome remain poorly understood. In such a biome, permafrost peatlands occupy a sizable territory in the Northern Hemisphere and present an extensive and highly vulnerable storage of organic carbon. Here we used an experimental approach to model the impact of ash produced from burning of main tundra organic constituents (i.e., moss, lichen and peat) on surrounding aquatic ecosystems. We studied the chemical composition of aqueous leachates produced during short-term (1 week) interaction of ash with distilled water and organic-rich lake water at 5 gsolid L-1 and 20 °C. The addition of ash enriched the fluid phase in major cations (i.e., Na, Ca, Mg), macro- (i.e., P, K, Si) and micronutrients (i.e., Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Zn, Mo). This enrichment occurred over <2 days of experiment. Among 3 studied substrates, moss ash released the largest amount of macro- and micro-components into the aqueous solution. To place the obtained results in the environmental context of a peatbog watershed, we assume a fire return interval of 56 years and that the entire 0-10 cm of upper peat is subjected to fire impact. These mass balance calculations demonstrated that maximal possible delivery of elements from ash after soil burning to the hydrological network is negligibly small (<1-2 %) compared to the annual riverine export flux and element storage in thermokarst lakes. As such, even a 5-10 fold increase in tundra wildfire frequency may not sizably modify nutrient and metal fluxes and pools in the surrounding aquatic ecosystems. This result requires revisiting the current paradigm on the importance of wildfire impact on permafrost peatlands and calls a need for experimental work on other ecosystem compartments (litter, shrubs, frozen peat) which are subjected to fire events.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daria Kuzmina
- BIO-GEO-CLIM Laboratory, Tomsk State University, 36 av. Lenina, Tomsk 634004, Russia
| | - Artem G Lim
- BIO-GEO-CLIM Laboratory, Tomsk State University, 36 av. Lenina, Tomsk 634004, Russia
| | - Sergey V Loiko
- BIO-GEO-CLIM Laboratory, Tomsk State University, 36 av. Lenina, Tomsk 634004, Russia
| | - Oleg S Pokrovsky
- GET UMR 5563 CNRS University of Toulouse, 14 Avenue Edouard Belin, 31400 Toulouse, France; N Laverov Federal Center for Integrated Arctic Research, Ural Branch of the Russian Academy of Science, 23 Nab Severnoi Dviny, Arkhangelsk 163000, Russia.
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5
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Hermesdorf L, Elberling B, D'Imperio L, Xu W, Lambæk A, Ambus PL. Effects of fire on CO 2 , CH 4 , and N 2 O exchange in a well-drained Arctic heath ecosystem. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2022; 28:4882-4899. [PMID: 35543023 PMCID: PMC9544550 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.16222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2021] [Revised: 04/26/2022] [Accepted: 04/27/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Wildfire frequency and expanse in the Arctic have increased in recent years and are projected to increase further with changes in climatic conditions due to warmer and drier summers. Yet, there is a lack of knowledge about the impacts such events may have on the net greenhouse gas (GHG) balances in Arctic ecosystems. We investigated in situ effects of an experimental fire in 2017 on carbon dioxide (CO2 ), methane (CH4 ), and nitrous oxide (N2 O) surface fluxes in the most abundant tundra ecosystem in West Greenland in ambient and warmer conditions. Measurements from the growing seasons 2017 to 2019 showed that burnt areas became significant net CO2 sources for the entire study period, driven by increased ecosystem respiration (ER) immediately after the fire and decreased gross ecosystem production (GEP). Warming by open-top chambers significantly increased both ER and GEP in control, but not in burnt plots. In contrast to CO2 , measurements suggest that the overall sink capacity of atmospheric CH4 , as well as net N2 O emissions, were not affected by fire in the short term, but only immediately after the fire. The minor effects on CH4 and N2 O, which was surprising given the significantly higher nitrate availability observed in burnt plots. However, the minor effects are aligned with the lack of significant effects of fire on soil moisture and soil temperature. Net uptake and emissions of all three GHG from burnt soils were less temperature-sensitive than in the undisturbed control plots. Overall, this study highlights that wildfires in a typical tundra ecosystem in Greenland may not lead to markedly increased net GHG emissions other than CO2 . Additional investigations are needed to assess the consequences of more severe fires.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lena Hermesdorf
- Center for Permafrost (CENPERM), Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource ManagementUniversity of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
| | - Bo Elberling
- Center for Permafrost (CENPERM), Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource ManagementUniversity of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
| | - Ludovica D'Imperio
- Center for Permafrost (CENPERM), Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource ManagementUniversity of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
- University of Copenhagen, IGN, Section for Forest, Nature and BiomassFrederiksberg CDenmark
| | - Wenyi Xu
- Center for Permafrost (CENPERM), Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource ManagementUniversity of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
| | - Anders Lambæk
- Center for Permafrost (CENPERM), Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource ManagementUniversity of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
| | - Per L. Ambus
- Center for Permafrost (CENPERM), Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource ManagementUniversity of CopenhagenCopenhagenDenmark
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Zhou Y, Biro A, Wong MY, Batterman SA, Staver AC. Fire decreases soil enzyme activities and reorganizes microbially-mediated nutrient cycles: A meta-analysis. Ecology 2022; 103:e3807. [PMID: 35811475 DOI: 10.1002/ecy.3807] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/24/2021] [Revised: 03/29/2022] [Accepted: 05/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
The biogeochemical signature of fire shapes the functioning of many ecosystems. Fire changes nutrient cycles not only by volatilizing plant material, but also by altering organic matter decomposition-a process regulated by soil extracellular enzyme activities (EEAs). However, our understanding of fire effects on EEAs and their feedbacks to nutrient cycles is incomplete. We conducted a meta-analysis with 301 field studies and found that fire significantly decreased EEAs by ~20-40%. Fire decreased EEAs by reducing soil microbial biomass and organic matter substrates. Soil nitrogen-acquiring EEA declined alongside decreasing available nitrogen, likely from fire-driven volatilization of nitrogen and decreased microbial activity. Fire decreased soil phosphorus-acquiring EEA but increased available phosphorus, likely from pyro-mineralization of organic phosphorus. These findings suggest that fire suppresses soil microbes and consumes their substrates, thereby slowing microbially-mediated nutrient cycles (especially phosphorus) via decreased EEAs. These changes can become increasingly important as fire frequency and severity in many ecosystems continue to shift in response to global change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yong Zhou
- Yale Institute for Biospheric Studies, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Arielle Biro
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | | | - Sarah A Batterman
- Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies, Millbrook, NY, USA.,School of Geography and Priestley International Centre for Climate, University of Leeds, Leeds, United Kingdom
| | - A Carla Staver
- Yale Institute for Biospheric Studies, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
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7
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The Effects of Fire Disturbance on Litter Decomposition and C:N:P Stoichiometry in a Larix gmelinii Forest Ecosystem of Boreal China. FORESTS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/f13071029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/27/2023]
Abstract
Fire disturbance can affect the function of the boreal forest ecosystem through litter decomposition and nutrient element return. In this study, we selected the Larix gmelinii forest, a typical forest ecosystem in boreal China, to explore the effect of different years (3 years, 9 years, 28 years) after high burn severity fire disturbance on the decomposition rate (k) of leaf litter and the Carbon:Nitrogen:Phosphorus (C:N:P) stoichiometry characteristics. Our results indicated that compared with the unburned control stands, the k increased by 91–109% within 9 years after fire disturbance, but 28 years after fire disturbance the decomposition rate of the upper litter decreased by 45% compared with the unburned control stands. After fire disturbance, litter decomposition in boreal forests can be promoted in the short term (e.g., 9 years after a fire) and inhibited in the long term (e.g., 28 years after a fire). Changes in litter nutrient elements caused by the effect of fire disturbance on litter decomposition and on the C, N, and C:N of litter were the main litter stoichiometry factors for litter decomposition 28 years after fire disturbance. The findings of this research characterize the long-term dynamic change of litter decomposition in the boreal forest ecosystem, providing data and theoretical support for further exploring the relationship between fire and litter decomposition.
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Andres SE, Powell JR, Rymer PD, Emery NJ. Fire severity and the post‐fire soil environment affect seedling regeneration success of the threatened
Persoonia hirsuta
(Proteaceae). AUSTRAL ECOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.13217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Samantha E. Andres
- Western Sydney University Hawkesbury Campus, Ground Floor, Building R2, Locked Bag 1797 Penrith New South Wales 2751 Australia
| | - Jeff R. Powell
- Western Sydney University Hawkesbury Campus, Ground Floor, Building R2, Locked Bag 1797 Penrith New South Wales 2751 Australia
| | - Paul D. Rymer
- Western Sydney University Hawkesbury Campus, Ground Floor, Building R2, Locked Bag 1797 Penrith New South Wales 2751 Australia
| | - Nathan J. Emery
- The Australian PlantBank, Australian Institute of Botanical Science, Australian Botanic Garden Mount Annan New South Wales Australia
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Meena M, Yadav G, Sonigra P, Nagda A, Mehta T, Swapnil P, Marwal A, Kumar S. Multifarious Responses of Forest Soil Microbial Community Toward Climate Change. MICROBIAL ECOLOGY 2022:10.1007/s00248-022-02051-3. [PMID: 35657425 DOI: 10.1007/s00248-022-02051-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/24/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Forest soils are a pressing subject of worldwide research owing to the several roles of forests such as carbon sinks. Currently, the living soil ecosystem has become dreadful as a consequence of several anthropogenic activities including climate change. Climate change continues to transform the living soil ecosystem as well as the soil microbiome of planet Earth. The majority of studies have aimed to decipher the role of forest soil bacteria and fungi to understand and predict the impact of climate change on soil microbiome community structure and their ecosystem in the environment. In forest soils, microorganisms live in diverse habitats with specific behavior, comprising bulk soil, rhizosphere, litter, and deadwood habitats, where their communities are influenced by biotic interactions and nutrient accessibility. Soil microbiome also drives multiple crucial steps in the nutrient biogeochemical cycles (carbon, nitrogen, phosphorous, and sulfur cycles). Soil microbes help in the nitrogen cycle through nitrogen fixation during the nitrogen cycle and maintain the concentration of nitrogen in the atmosphere. Soil microorganisms in forest soils respond to various effects of climate change, for instance, global warming, elevated level of CO2, drought, anthropogenic nitrogen deposition, increased precipitation, and flood. As the major burning issue of the globe, researchers are facing the major challenges to study soil microbiome. This review sheds light on the current scenario of knowledge about the effect of climate change on living soil ecosystems in various climate-sensitive soil ecosystems and the consequences for vegetation-soil-climate feedbacks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mukesh Meena
- Laboratory of Phytopathology and Microbial Biotechnology, Department of Botany, Mohanlal Sukhadia University, Udaipur, 313001, Rajasthan, India.
| | - Garima Yadav
- Laboratory of Phytopathology and Microbial Biotechnology, Department of Botany, Mohanlal Sukhadia University, Udaipur, 313001, Rajasthan, India
| | - Priyankaraj Sonigra
- Laboratory of Phytopathology and Microbial Biotechnology, Department of Botany, Mohanlal Sukhadia University, Udaipur, 313001, Rajasthan, India
| | - Adhishree Nagda
- Laboratory of Phytopathology and Microbial Biotechnology, Department of Botany, Mohanlal Sukhadia University, Udaipur, 313001, Rajasthan, India
| | - Tushar Mehta
- Laboratory of Phytopathology and Microbial Biotechnology, Department of Botany, Mohanlal Sukhadia University, Udaipur, 313001, Rajasthan, India
| | - Prashant Swapnil
- Department of Botany, School of Biological Science, Central University of Punjab, Bhatinda, Punjab, 151401, India
| | - Avinash Marwal
- Department of Biotechnology, Vigyan Bhawan - Block B, New Campus, Mohanlal Sukhadia University, Udaipur, 313001, Rajasthan, India
| | - Sumit Kumar
- Department of Mycology and Plant Pathology, Institute of Agricultural Sciences, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, 221005, India
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Xu W, Elberling B, Ambus PL. Fire increases soil nitrogen retention and alters nitrogen uptake patterns among dominant shrub species in an Arctic dry heath tundra. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 807:150990. [PMID: 34656575 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150990] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/11/2021] [Revised: 10/11/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Climate change increases the frequency and severity of fire in the Arctic tundra regions. We assessed effects of fire in combination with summer warming on soil biogeochemical N- and P cycles with a focus on mineral N over two years following an experimental fire in a dry heath tundra, West Greenland. We applied stable isotopes (15NH4+-N and 15NO3--N) to trace the post-fire mineral N pools. The partitioning of 15N in the bulk soils, soil dissolved organic N (TDN), microbes and plants (roots and leaves) was established. The fire tended to increase microbial P pools by four-fold at both one and two years after the fire. Two years after the fire, the bulk soil 15N recovery has decreased to 10.4% in unburned plots while relatively high recovery was maintained (30%) in burned plots, suggesting an increase in soil N retention after the fire. The contribution of microbial 15N recovery to bulk soil 15N recovery increased from 11.2% at 21 days to 31.5% two years after the fire, suggesting that higher post-fire N retention was due largely to the increased incorporation of N into microbial biomass. Fire also increased 15N recovery in bulk roots after one and two years, but only under summer warming. This suggests that higher retention of post-fire N can strongly increase the potential for N uptake of recovering plants under a future warmer climate. There was significantly lower 15N enrichment of Betula nana leaves while higher 15N enrichment of Vaccinium uliginosum leaves (after three years) in burned than control plots. This shows that fire can alter the N uptake differently among dominant shrub species in this tundra ecosystem, and implies that wildfires may change plant species composition in the longer term.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenyi Xu
- Center for Permafrost, Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen, 1350 Copenhagen K, Denmark.
| | - Bo Elberling
- Center for Permafrost, Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen, 1350 Copenhagen K, Denmark
| | - Per Lennart Ambus
- Center for Permafrost, Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen, 1350 Copenhagen K, Denmark
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11
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Su WQ, Tang C, Lin J, Yu M, Dai Z, Luo Y, Li Y, Xu J. Recovery patterns of soil bacterial and fungal communities in Chinese boreal forests along a fire chronosequence. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2022; 805:150372. [PMID: 34818758 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.150372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2021] [Revised: 09/11/2021] [Accepted: 09/12/2021] [Indexed: 05/17/2023]
Abstract
Wildfire has profound and pervasive consequences for forest ecosystems via directly altering soil physicochemical properties and modulating microbial community. In this study, we examined the changes in soil properties and microbial community composition and structure at different periods after highly severe wildfire events (44 plots, 113 samples) in the Chinese Great Khingan Mountains. We also separated charcoal from burnt soils to establish the relationship between microbial community structures in soils and charcoal. We found that wildfire only significantly altered bacterial and fungal β-diversity, but had no effect on microbial α-diversity across a 29-year chronosequence. The network analysis revealed that the complexity and connectivity of bacterial and fungal communities were significantly increased from 17 years after fire, compared with either unburnt soils or soils with recent fires (0-4 years after fire). Differential abundance analysis suggested that bacterial and fungal OTUs were enriched or depleted only during 0-4 years after fire compared with the unburnt soils. In addition, soil pH, dissolved organic C and dissolved organic N were key determinants of soil bacterial and fungal communities during 17-29 years after fire. The fire-derived charcoal provided a new niche for microbial colonization, and microbes colonized in the charcoal had a significantly different community structure from those of burnt soils. Our data suggest that soil bacterial and fungal communities changed significantly during the recovery from fire events in terms of the abundance and co-occurrence networks in the boreal forest ecosystems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wei-Qin Su
- College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Caixian Tang
- Department of Animal, Plant and Soil Sciences, La Trobe University, Melbourne Campus, Bundoora, VIC 3086, Australia
| | - Jiahui Lin
- College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Mengjie Yu
- College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Zhongmin Dai
- College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Yu Luo
- College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Yong Li
- College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China
| | - Jianming Xu
- College of Environmental and Resource Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China; Zhejiang Provincial Key Laboratory of Agricultural Resources and Environment, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, China.
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Xu W, Lambæk A, Holm SS, Furbo-Halken A, Elberling B, Ambus PL. Effects of experimental fire in combination with climate warming on greenhouse gas fluxes in Arctic tundra soils. THE SCIENCE OF THE TOTAL ENVIRONMENT 2021; 795:148847. [PMID: 34246149 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148847] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2021] [Revised: 06/30/2021] [Accepted: 06/30/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
The frequency and severity of fire is increasing in Arctic tundra regions with climate change. Here we investigated effects of experimental low-intensity fire and shrub cutting, in combination with warming, on soil biogeochemical cycles and post-fire greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in a dry heath tundra, West Greenland. We performed in vitro incubation experiments based on soil samples collected for up to two years after the fire. We observed tendency for increased soil nitrate (14-fold) and significant increases in soil ammonium and phosphate (four-fold and five-fold, respectively) two years after the fire, but no effects of shrub cutting on these compounds. Thus, changes appear to be largely due to fire effects rather than indirect effects by vegetation destruction. Two years after fire, nitrous oxide (N2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2) production was significantly increased (three-fold and 32% higher, respectively), in burned than unburned soils, while methane (CH4) uptake remained unchanged. This stimulated N2O and CO2 production by the fire, however, was only apparent under conditions when soil was at maximum water holding capacity, suggesting that fire effects can be masked under dry conditions in this tundra ecosystem. There were positive effects by modest 2.5 °C warming on CO2 production in control but not in burned soils, suggesting that fire may decrease the temperature response in soil respiration. Methane uptake was neither altered by the modest warming in shrub-cut nor in burned soils after two years, suggesting that the removal of vegetation may play a key role in controlling future temperature response of CH4 oxidation. Altogether, our results show that post-fire tundra soils have the potential to enhance soil GHG emissions (e.g. N2O and CO2) especially during episodes with wet soil conditions. On the other hand, the lack of warming responses in post-fire soil respiration may weaken this positive feedback to climate change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wenyi Xu
- Center for Permafrost, Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen, 1350 Copenhagen K, Denmark.
| | - Anders Lambæk
- Center for Permafrost, Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen, 1350 Copenhagen K, Denmark
| | - Signe Skjold Holm
- Center for Permafrost, Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen, 1350 Copenhagen K, Denmark
| | - Annesofie Furbo-Halken
- Center for Permafrost, Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen, 1350 Copenhagen K, Denmark
| | - Bo Elberling
- Center for Permafrost, Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen, 1350 Copenhagen K, Denmark
| | - Per Lennart Ambus
- Center for Permafrost, Department of Geosciences and Natural Resource Management, University of Copenhagen, 1350 Copenhagen K, Denmark
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13
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Kelly J, Ibáñez TS, Santín C, Doerr SH, Nilsson MC, Holst T, Lindroth A, Kljun N. Boreal forest soil carbon fluxes one year after a wildfire: Effects of burn severity and management. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2021; 27:4181-4195. [PMID: 34028945 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2021] [Accepted: 04/20/2021] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
The extreme 2018 hot drought that affected central and northern Europe led to the worst wildfire season in Sweden in over a century. The Ljusdal fire complex, the largest area burnt that year (8995 ha), offered a rare opportunity to quantify the combined impacts of wildfire and post-fire management on Scandinavian boreal forests. We present chamber measurements of soil CO2 and CH4 fluxes, soil microclimate and nutrient content from five Pinus sylvestris sites for the first growing season after the fire. We analysed the effects of three factors on forest soils: burn severity, salvage-logging and stand age. None of these caused significant differences in soil CH4 uptake. Soil respiration, however, declined significantly after a high-severity fire (complete tree mortality) but not after a low-severity fire (no tree mortality), despite substantial losses of the organic layer. Tree root respiration is thus key in determining post-fire soil CO2 emissions and may benefit, along with heterotrophic respiration, from the nutrient pulse after a low-severity fire. Salvage-logging after a high-severity fire had no significant effects on soil carbon fluxes, microclimate or nutrient content compared with leaving the dead trees standing, although differences are expected to emerge in the long term. In contrast, the impact of stand age was substantial: a young burnt stand experienced more extreme microclimate, lower soil nutrient supply and significantly lower soil respiration than a mature burnt stand, due to a thinner organic layer and the decade-long effects of a previous clear-cut and soil scarification. Disturbance history and burn severity are, therefore, important factors for predicting changes in the boreal forest carbon sink after wildfires. The presented short-term effects and ongoing monitoring will provide essential information for sustainable management strategies in response to the increasing risk of wildfire.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julia Kelly
- Centre for Environmental and Climate Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Theresa S Ibáñez
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Faculty of Forest Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Cristina Santín
- Department of Biosciences, Swansea University, Swansea, Wales, UK
- Research Unit of Biodiversity, Spanish National Research Council, Mieres, Spain
| | - Stefan H Doerr
- Department of Geography, Swansea University, Swansea, Wales, UK
| | - Marie-Charlotte Nilsson
- Department of Forest Ecology and Management, Faculty of Forest Sciences, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Thomas Holst
- Department of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Anders Lindroth
- Department of Physical Geography and Ecosystem Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
| | - Natascha Kljun
- Centre for Environmental and Climate Science, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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14
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Abbott BW, Rocha AV, Shogren A, Zarnetske JP, Iannucci F, Bowden WB, Bratsman SP, Patch L, Watts R, Fulweber R, Frei RJ, Huebner AM, Ludwig SM, Carling GT, O'Donnell JA. Tundra wildfire triggers sustained lateral nutrient loss in Alaskan Arctic. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2021; 27:1408-1430. [PMID: 33394532 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15507] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2020] [Accepted: 12/13/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Climate change is creating widespread ecosystem disturbance across the permafrost zone, including a rapid increase in the extent and severity of tundra wildfire. The expansion of this previously rare disturbance has unknown consequences for lateral nutrient flux from terrestrial to aquatic environments. Lateral loss of nutrients could reduce carbon uptake and slow recovery of already nutrient-limited tundra ecosystems. To investigate the effects of tundra wildfire on lateral nutrient export, we analyzed water chemistry in and around the 10-year-old Anaktuvuk River fire scar in northern Alaska. We collected water samples from 21 burned and 21 unburned watersheds during snowmelt, at peak growing season, and after plant senescence in 2017 and 2018. After a decade of ecosystem recovery, aboveground biomass had recovered in burned watersheds, but overall carbon and nitrogen remained ~20% lower, and the active layer remained ~10% deeper. Despite lower organic matter stocks, dissolved organic nutrients were substantially elevated in burned watersheds, with higher flow-weighted concentrations of organic carbon (25% higher), organic nitrogen (59% higher), organic phosphorus (65% higher), and organic sulfur (47% higher). Geochemical proxies indicated greater interaction with mineral soils in watersheds with surface subsidence, but optical analysis and isotopes suggested that recent plant growth, not mineral soil, was the main source of organic nutrients in burned watersheds. Burned and unburned watersheds had similar δ15 N-NO3 - , indicating that exported nitrogen was of preburn origin (i.e., not recently fixed). Lateral nitrogen flux from burned watersheds was 2- to 10-fold higher than rates of background nitrogen fixation and atmospheric deposition estimated in this area. These findings indicate that wildfire in Arctic tundra can destabilize nitrogen, phosphorus, and sulfur previously stored in permafrost via plant uptake and leaching. This plant-mediated nutrient loss could exacerbate terrestrial nutrient limitation after disturbance or serve as an important nutrient release mechanism during succession.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin W Abbott
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA
| | - Adrian V Rocha
- Department of Biological Sciences & the Environmental Change Initiative, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
| | - Arial Shogren
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Jay P Zarnetske
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA
| | - Frances Iannucci
- Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA
- Department of Biology and Wildlife, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, USA
| | - William B Bowden
- Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, University of Vermont, Burlington, VT, USA
| | - Samuel P Bratsman
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA
| | - Leika Patch
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA
| | - Rachel Watts
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA
| | - Randy Fulweber
- Toolik GIS, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK, USA
| | - Rebecca J Frei
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA
- Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada
| | - Amanda M Huebner
- Department of Plant and Wildlife Sciences, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA
| | - Sarah M Ludwig
- Department of Earth and Environmental Science, Columbia University, NY, NY, USA
| | - Gregory T Carling
- Department of Geological Sciences, Brigham Young University, Provo, UT, USA
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15
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Moya D, Fonturbel MT, Lucas-Borja ME, Peña E, Alfaro-Sanchez R, Plaza-Álvarez PA, González-Romero J, de Las Heras J. Burning season and vegetation coverage influenced the community-level physiological profile of Mediterranean mixed-mesogean pine forest soils. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2021; 277:111405. [PMID: 33032003 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2020.111405] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2020] [Revised: 09/08/2020] [Accepted: 09/19/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Knowledge of forest soil ecology is necessary to assess vulnerability to disturbances, such as wildfires, and improve its microbial diversity and functional value. Soil microbiota play an important role in forest soil processes and are a key driver of postfire recovery, but they are very vulnerable to heat. According to future scenarios for climate and land-use change, fire regimes will undergo transformations in semiarid terrestrial ecosystems, mainly in the Mediterranean Basin. To develop tools for forest management in fire-prone areas, i.e., fire prevention, we assessed the impact of prescribed burnings on soil microorganisms in Mediterranean mixed pine forests. We hypothesised that low severity fire burns would not influence the functional diversity of soil microorganisms, although the burning season could influence that response due to seasonal variations in its vulnerability. We used the Biolog EcoPlate System to record soil biological indicators and assess the effect of the prescribed burning season (early or late season) on bacterial communities, including the soil-plant interphase. The soil microbiome response differed significantly according to vegetation coverage but prescribed burning season was not directly related. Burning increased the proportions of soil organic matter and soil organic carbon, and also promoted cation-exchange capacity and total phosphorus, which were higher following spring burns. Microbial richness and the Shannon-Weaver diversity index both showed a positive correlation with vegetation cover. However, microbial richness was triggered after burning uncovered patches of vegetation. We also noted differences in the usage pattern for the six substrate groups defined in our study: the use of carboxylic acids, amino acids and carbohydrates was higher in unburned plots and those subject to late burns, whereas amino acids did not predominate in early burn plots.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Moya
- Forest Ecology Research Group (ECOFOR), Escuela Técnica Superior Ingenieros Agrónomos y Montes, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Campus Universitario, 02071, Albacete, Spain.
| | - M T Fonturbel
- Centro de Investigación Forestal-Lourizán, Consellería do Medio Rural, Xunta de Galicia, P.O. Box 127, 36080, Pontevedra, Spain
| | - M E Lucas-Borja
- Forest Ecology Research Group (ECOFOR), Escuela Técnica Superior Ingenieros Agrónomos y Montes, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Campus Universitario, 02071, Albacete, Spain
| | - E Peña
- Forest Ecology Research Group (ECOFOR), Escuela Técnica Superior Ingenieros Agrónomos y Montes, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Campus Universitario, 02071, Albacete, Spain
| | - R Alfaro-Sanchez
- Department of Biology, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada
| | - P A Plaza-Álvarez
- Forest Ecology Research Group (ECOFOR), Escuela Técnica Superior Ingenieros Agrónomos y Montes, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Campus Universitario, 02071, Albacete, Spain
| | - J González-Romero
- Forest Ecology Research Group (ECOFOR), Escuela Técnica Superior Ingenieros Agrónomos y Montes, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Campus Universitario, 02071, Albacete, Spain
| | - J de Las Heras
- Forest Ecology Research Group (ECOFOR), Escuela Técnica Superior Ingenieros Agrónomos y Montes, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Campus Universitario, 02071, Albacete, Spain
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16
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Litter Decomposition and Nutrient Dynamics in Fire-Affected Larch Forests in the Russian Far East. FORESTS 2020. [DOI: 10.3390/f11080882] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Russian boreal forests hold a considerable carbon (C) stock and are subjected to frequent surface fires that unbalance C storage and ecosystem function. Although postfire ecological changes aboveground are well understood, biological C flows (e.g., decomposition in the postfire period) remain unclear. We present the results of a long-term field litterbag experiment on needle litter decomposition in typical Larix gmelinii boreal forests in the Russian Far East. For 3 years, we measured mass loss, C and nitrogen (N) concentrations, lignin and manganese dynamics, respiration intensity and enzyme activity in decaying needles, and environmental conditions (temperature and litter moisture). The decomposition rate at 850 days was 0.435 and 0.213 yr−1 in a control forest and in a forest 15 years after a surface fire, respectively. Early stages of needle decay did not differ among sites, whereas decomposition slowed in later stages in burned forest relative to the control (p < 0.01). This was supported by hampered respiration, slow lignin accumulation in decaying needles, and low peroxidase activity in burned forest. We found no direct N release, and decaying litter immobilization was more pronounced in the control forest. In the later stages, we revealed restrained mass loss and associated C release from larch litter in burned forest. Slow and delayed N release may alter organic matter accumulation, the N cycle, and regeneration of the fire-disturbed larch ecosystem. Our investigations highlight hampered C flow from aboveground litter to soil humus even decades after surface fire in a larch ecosystem. Given the climate-induced increase of fire activity, C retained in the litter layer represents a pool that is more vulnerable to the next fire event.
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17
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Flanagan NE, Wang H, Winton S, Richardson CJ. Low-severity fire as a mechanism of organic matter protection in global peatlands: Thermal alteration slows decomposition. GLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY 2020; 26:3930-3946. [PMID: 32388914 DOI: 10.1111/gcb.15102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2019] [Revised: 02/19/2020] [Accepted: 03/08/2020] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Worldwide, regularly recurring wildfires shape many peatland ecosystems to the extent that fire-adapted species often dominate plant communities, suggesting that wildfire is an integral part of peatland ecology rather than an anomaly. The most destructive blazes are smoldering fires that are usually initiated in periods of drought and can combust entire peatland carbon stores. However, peatland wildfires more typically occur as low-severity surface burns that arise in the dormant season when vegetation is desiccated, and soil moisture is high. In such low-severity fires, surface layers experience flash heating, but there is little loss of underlying peat to combustion. This study examines the potential importance of such processes in several peatlands that span a gradient from hemiboreal to tropical ecozones and experience a wide range of fire return intervals. We show that low-severity fires can increase the pool of stable soil carbon by thermally altering the chemistry of soil organic matter (SOM), thereby reducing rates of microbial respiration. Using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared, we demonstrate that low-severity fires significantly increase the degree of carbon condensation and aromatization of SOM functional groups, particularly on the surface of peat aggregates. Laboratory incubations show lower CO2 emissions from peat subjected to low-severity fire and predict lower cumulative CO2 emissions from burned peat after 1-3 years. Also, low-severity fires reduce the temperature sensitivity (Q10 ) of peat, indicating that these fires can inhibit microbial access to SOM. The increased stability of thermally altered SOM may allow a greater proportion of organic matter to survive vertical migration into saturated and anaerobic zones of peatlands where environmental conditions physiochemically protect carbon stores from decomposition for thousands of years. Thus, across latitudes, low-severity fire is an overlooked factor influencing carbon cycling in peatlands, which is relevant to global carbon budgets as climate change alters fire regimes worldwide.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neal E Flanagan
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University Wetland Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Hongjun Wang
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University Wetland Center, Durham, NC, USA
| | - Scott Winton
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University Wetland Center, Durham, NC, USA
- Institute of Biogeochemistry and Pollutant Dynamics, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Eawag, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Kastanienbaum, Switzerland
| | - Curtis J Richardson
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University Wetland Center, Durham, NC, USA
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18
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Yang T, Tedersoo L, Lin X, Fitzpatrick MC, Jia Y, Liu X, Ni Y, Shi Y, Lu P, Zhu J, Chu H. Distinct fungal successional trajectories following wildfire between soil horizons in a cold-temperate forest. THE NEW PHYTOLOGIST 2020; 227:572-587. [PMID: 32155671 DOI: 10.1111/nph.16531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2019] [Accepted: 03/02/2020] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Soil fungi represent a major component of below-ground biodiversity that determines the succession and recovery of forests after disturbance. However, their successional trajectories and driving mechanisms following wildfire remain unclear. We examined fungal biomass, richness, composition and enzymes across three soil horizons (Oe, A1 and A2) along a near-complete fire chronosequence (1, 2, 8, 14, 30, 49 and c. 260 yr) in cold-temperate forests of the Great Khingan Mountains, China. The importance of soil properties, spatial distance and tree composition were also tested. Ectomycorrhizal fungal richness and β-glucosidase activity were strongly reduced by burning and significantly increased with 'time since fire' in the Oe horizon but not in the mineral horizons. Time since fire and soil C : N ratio were the primary drivers of fungal composition in the Oe and A1/A2 horizons, respectively. Ectomycorrhizal fungal composition was remarkably sensitive to fire history in the Oe horizon, while saprotroph community was strongly affected by time since fire in the deeper soil horizon and this effect emerged 18 years after fire in the A2 horizon. Our study demonstrates pronounced horizon-dependent successional trajectories following wildfire and indicates interactive effects of time since fire, soil stoichiometry and spatial distance in the reassembly of below-ground fungal communities in a cold and fire-prone region.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teng Yang
- State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, East Beijing Road 71, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Leho Tedersoo
- Natural History Museum, University of Tartu, 14a Ravila, Tartu, 50411, Estonia
| | - Xingwu Lin
- State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, East Beijing Road 71, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Matthew C Fitzpatrick
- Appalachian Laboratory, University of Maryland Centre for Environmental Science, Frostburg, MD, 21531, USA
| | - Yunsheng Jia
- State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, East Beijing Road 71, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Xu Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, East Beijing Road 71, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Yingying Ni
- State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, East Beijing Road 71, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Yu Shi
- State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, East Beijing Road 71, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Pengpeng Lu
- Microbiology Institute of Shaanxi, Shaanxi Academy of Sciences, Xiying Road 76, Xi'an, 710043, China
| | - Jianguo Zhu
- State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, East Beijing Road 71, Nanjing, 210008, China
| | - Haiyan Chu
- State Key Laboratory of Soil and Sustainable Agriculture, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, East Beijing Road 71, Nanjing, 210008, China
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19
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Grau-Andrés R, Gray A, Davies GM, Scott EM, Waldron S. Burning increases post-fire carbon emissions in a heathland and a raised bog, but experimental manipulation of fire severity has no effect. JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT 2019; 233:321-328. [PMID: 30584963 DOI: 10.1016/j.jenvman.2018.12.036] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2018] [Revised: 11/14/2018] [Accepted: 12/11/2018] [Indexed: 06/09/2023]
Abstract
Large amounts of carbon are stored in northern peatlands. There is concern that greater wildfire severity following projected increases in summer drought will lead to higher post-fire carbon losses. We measured soil carbon dynamics in a Calluna heathland and a raised peat bog after experimentally manipulating fire severity. A gradient of fire severity was achieved by simulating drought in 2 × 2 m plots. Ecosystem respiration (ER), net ecosystem exchange (NEE), methane (CH4) flux and concentration of dissolved organic carbon ([DOC], measured at the raised bog only) were measured for up to two years after burning. The response of these carbon fluxes to increased fire severity in drought plots was similar to plots burnt under ambient conditions associated with traditional managed burning. Averaged across all burnt plots, burning altered mean NEE from a net carbon sink at the heathland (-0.33 μmol CO2 m-2 s-1 in unburnt plots) to a carbon source (0.50 μmol m-2 s-1 in burnt plots) and at the raised bog (-0.38 and 0.16 μmol m-2 s-1, respectively). Burning also increased CH4 flux at the raised bog (from 1.16 to 25.3 nmol m-2 s-1 in the summer, when it accounted for 79% of the CO2-equivalent emission). Burning had no significant effect on soil water [DOC].
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Affiliation(s)
- Roger Grau-Andrés
- School of Geographical and Earth Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G128QQ, UK.
| | - Alan Gray
- Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, Bush Estate, Penicuik, Midlothian, EH26 0QB, UK
| | - G Matt Davies
- School of Environment and Natural Resources, Kottman Hall, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, 43210, USA
| | - E Marian Scott
- School of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G128QW, UK
| | - Susan Waldron
- School of Geographical and Earth Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G128QQ, UK
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