Effects of Prescribed Burns on Soil Respiration in Semi-Arid Grasslands
Carbon fluxes are valuable indicators of soil and ecosystem health, particularly in the context of climate change, where reducing carbon emissions from anthropogenic activities, such as forest fires, is a global priority. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of prescribed burns on soil respiratio...
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MDPI AG
2024-11-01
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| author | Juan Carlos De la Cruz Domínguez Teresa Alfaro Reyna Carlos Alberto Aguirre Gutierrez Víctor Manuel Rodríguez Moreno Josué Delgado Balbuena |
| author_facet | Juan Carlos De la Cruz Domínguez Teresa Alfaro Reyna Carlos Alberto Aguirre Gutierrez Víctor Manuel Rodríguez Moreno Josué Delgado Balbuena |
| author_sort | Juan Carlos De la Cruz Domínguez |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Carbon fluxes are valuable indicators of soil and ecosystem health, particularly in the context of climate change, where reducing carbon emissions from anthropogenic activities, such as forest fires, is a global priority. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of prescribed burns on soil respiration in semi-arid grasslands. Two treatments were applied: a prescribed burn on a 12.29 ha paddock of an introduced grass (<i>Eragostis curvula</i>) with 11.6 t ha<sup>−1</sup> of available fuel, and a simulation of three fire intensities, over 28 circular plots (80 cm in diameter) of natural grasslands (<i>Bouteloua gracilis</i>). Fire intensities were simulated by burning with butane gas inside an iron barrel, which represented three amounts of fuel biomass and an unburned treatment. Soil respiration was measured with a soil respiration chamber over two months, with readings collected in the morning and afternoon. Moreover, CO<sub>2</sub> emissions by combustion and productivity after fire treatment were quantified. The prescribed burns significantly reduced soil respiration: all fire intensities resulted in a decrease in soil respiration when compared with the unburned area. Changes in albedo increased the soil temperature; however, there was no relationship between changes in temperature and soil respiration; in contrast, precipitation highly stimulated it. These findings suggest that fire, under certain conditions, may not lead to more CO<sub>2</sub> being emitted into the atmosphere by stimulating soil respiration, whereas aboveground biomass was reduced by 60%. However, considering the effects of fire in the long-term on changes in nutrient deposition, aboveground and belowground biomass, and soil properties is crucial to effectively quantify its impact on the global carbon cycle. |
| format | Article |
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| institution | Kabale University |
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| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
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| series | Fire |
| spelling | doaj-art-3f637f1ff2cf4665badab8d46ed669ad2024-12-27T14:25:44ZengMDPI AGFire2571-62552024-11-0171245010.3390/fire7120450Effects of Prescribed Burns on Soil Respiration in Semi-Arid GrasslandsJuan Carlos De la Cruz Domínguez0Teresa Alfaro Reyna1Carlos Alberto Aguirre Gutierrez2Víctor Manuel Rodríguez Moreno3Josué Delgado Balbuena4Junta Intermunicipal del medio Ambiente Lagunas, Villa Corona 45730, Jal., MexicoCentro Nacional de Investigación Disciplinaria Agricultura Familiar, Km 8.5, Carretera Ojuelos—Lagos de Moreno, Ojuelos de Jalisco 47540, Jal., MexicoCentro Nacional de Investigación Disciplinaria Agricultura Familiar, Km 8.5, Carretera Ojuelos—Lagos de Moreno, Ojuelos de Jalisco 47540, Jal., MexicoINIFAP Campo Experimental Pabellón, Km 32.5, Carretera Ags-Zac, Pabellón de Arteaga 20660, Ags., MexicoCentro Nacional de Investigación Disciplinaria Agricultura Familiar, Km 8.5, Carretera Ojuelos—Lagos de Moreno, Ojuelos de Jalisco 47540, Jal., MexicoCarbon fluxes are valuable indicators of soil and ecosystem health, particularly in the context of climate change, where reducing carbon emissions from anthropogenic activities, such as forest fires, is a global priority. This study aimed to evaluate the impact of prescribed burns on soil respiration in semi-arid grasslands. Two treatments were applied: a prescribed burn on a 12.29 ha paddock of an introduced grass (<i>Eragostis curvula</i>) with 11.6 t ha<sup>−1</sup> of available fuel, and a simulation of three fire intensities, over 28 circular plots (80 cm in diameter) of natural grasslands (<i>Bouteloua gracilis</i>). Fire intensities were simulated by burning with butane gas inside an iron barrel, which represented three amounts of fuel biomass and an unburned treatment. Soil respiration was measured with a soil respiration chamber over two months, with readings collected in the morning and afternoon. Moreover, CO<sub>2</sub> emissions by combustion and productivity after fire treatment were quantified. The prescribed burns significantly reduced soil respiration: all fire intensities resulted in a decrease in soil respiration when compared with the unburned area. Changes in albedo increased the soil temperature; however, there was no relationship between changes in temperature and soil respiration; in contrast, precipitation highly stimulated it. These findings suggest that fire, under certain conditions, may not lead to more CO<sub>2</sub> being emitted into the atmosphere by stimulating soil respiration, whereas aboveground biomass was reduced by 60%. However, considering the effects of fire in the long-term on changes in nutrient deposition, aboveground and belowground biomass, and soil properties is crucial to effectively quantify its impact on the global carbon cycle.https://www.mdpi.com/2571-6255/7/12/450biomass combustioncarbon dioxidewildfireecosystem respiration |
| spellingShingle | Juan Carlos De la Cruz Domínguez Teresa Alfaro Reyna Carlos Alberto Aguirre Gutierrez Víctor Manuel Rodríguez Moreno Josué Delgado Balbuena Effects of Prescribed Burns on Soil Respiration in Semi-Arid Grasslands Fire biomass combustion carbon dioxide wildfire ecosystem respiration |
| title | Effects of Prescribed Burns on Soil Respiration in Semi-Arid Grasslands |
| title_full | Effects of Prescribed Burns on Soil Respiration in Semi-Arid Grasslands |
| title_fullStr | Effects of Prescribed Burns on Soil Respiration in Semi-Arid Grasslands |
| title_full_unstemmed | Effects of Prescribed Burns on Soil Respiration in Semi-Arid Grasslands |
| title_short | Effects of Prescribed Burns on Soil Respiration in Semi-Arid Grasslands |
| title_sort | effects of prescribed burns on soil respiration in semi arid grasslands |
| topic | biomass combustion carbon dioxide wildfire ecosystem respiration |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2571-6255/7/12/450 |
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