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Soil organic carbon and black carbon storage and dynamics under different fire regimes in temperate mixed‐grass savanna
Author(s) -
Ansley R. J.,
Boutton T. W.,
Skjemstad J. O.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
global biogeochemical cycles
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.512
H-Index - 187
eISSN - 1944-9224
pISSN - 0886-6236
DOI - 10.1029/2005gb002670
Subject(s) - soil carbon , temperate climate , environmental science , ecosystem , productivity , fire regime , carbon fibers , soil water , growing season , agronomy , zoology , ecology , biology , soil science , mathematics , macroeconomics , algorithm , composite number , economics
We quantified the effects of repeated, seasonal fires on soil organic carbon (SOC), black carbon (BC), and total N in controls and four fire treatments differing in frequency and season of occurrence in a temperate savanna. The SOC at 0–20 cm depth increased from 2044 g C m −2 in controls to 2393–2534 g C m −2 in the three treatments that included summer fire. Similarly, soil total N (0–20 cm) increased from 224 g N m −2 in the control to 251–255 g N m −2 in the treatments that included summer fire. However, winter fires had no effect on SOC or total N. Plant species composition coupled with lower δ 13 C of SOC suggested that increased soil C in summer fire treatments was related to shifts in community composition toward greater relative productivity by C 3 species. Lower δ 15 N of soil total N in summer fire treatments was consistent with a scenario in which N inputs > N losses. The BC storage was not altered by fire, and comprised 13–17% of SOC in all treatments. Results indicated that fire and its season of occurrence can significantly alter ecosystem processes and the storage of C and N in savanna ecosystems.