Grassland fire effect on soil organic carbon reservoirs in a semiarid environment
The aim of this work was to investigate the effect of an experimental fire used for grassland management on soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks. The study was carried out on <i>Hyparrhenia hirta (L.)</i> Stapf (<i>Hh</i>) grassland and <i>Ampelodesmos mauritanicus</i>...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2013-10-01
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| Series: | Solid Earth |
| Online Access: | http://www.solid-earth.net/4/381/2013/se-4-381-2013.pdf |
| Summary: | The aim of this work was to investigate the effect of an experimental fire
used for grassland management on soil organic carbon (SOC) stocks. The study
was carried out on <i>Hyparrhenia hirta (L.)</i> Stapf (<i>Hh</i>)
grassland and <i>Ampelodesmos mauritanicus</i> (Desf.) T. Durand &
Schinz (<i>Am</i>) grasslands located in the north of Sicily. Soil samples
were collected at 0–5 cm before and after the experimental fire, and SOC
was measured. During the grassland fire, soil surface temperature was
monitored. Biomass of both grasses was analysed in order to determine dry
weight and its chemical composition. The results showed that SOC varied
significantly with vegetation type, while it is not affected in the short
term by grassland fire. <i>Am</i> grassland stored more SOC compared with
<i>Hh</i> grassland thanks to lower content in the biomass of the labile
carbon pool. No significant difference was observed in SOC before and after
fire, which could be caused by several factors: first, in both grassland
types the measured soil temperature during fire was low due to thin litter
layers; second, in a semiarid environment, a higher mineralization rate
results in a lower soil carbon labile pool; and third, the SOC stored in the
finest soil fractions, physically protected, is not affected by fire. |
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| ISSN: | 1869-9510 1869-9529 |