The effect of fire disturbance on short-term soil respiration in typical forest of Greater Xing'an Range, China

We investigated the effect of fire disturbance on short-term soil respiration in birch （Betula platyphylla Suk.） and larch （Larix gmelinii Rupr.） forests in Greater Xing’an range, northeastern China for further understanding of its effect on the carbon cycle in ecosystems. Our study show that post-fire soil respiration rates in B. platyphylla and L. gmelinii forests were reduced by 14%and 10%, respectively. In contrast, the soil heterotrophic respiration rates in the two types of forest were similar in post-fire and control plots. After fire, the contribution of root respiration to total soil respiration was dramatically reduced. Variation in soil respiration rates was explained by soil moisture （W） and soil tem-perature （T） at a depth of 5 cm. Exponential regression fitted T and W models explained Rs rates in B. platyphylla control and post-fire plots （83.1% and 86.2%） and L. gmelinii control and post-fire plots （83.7%and 88.7%）. In addition, the short-term temperature coefficients in B.

THE PATTERN OF FIRE DISTURBANCE IN LIANGSHUI NATURE RESERVE

Fire disturbance pattem of Liangshui Nature Reserve was studied by investigating fire scar tree and analyzing distribution of charcoal particle in soil-layer. The results show that : fire disturbance regular is related with the accumulation and disposition of fuels in space pattern. rye fire protection measures wers put forward for Liangshui Nature Reserve.

Decay rate of Larix gmelinii coarse woody debris on burned patches in the Greater Khingan Mountains

The decomposition of coarse woody debris(CWD)affects the energy flow and nutrient cycling in forest ecosystems.Previous studies on CWD have focused on the input,decomposition,reserve dynamics,and CWD functions,but coarse woody debris decomposition is complex and the results from different regions vary considerably.It is not clear which factors affect decay rate(k),especially at different decomposition stages.In this study,a single-exponential decay model was used to analyze the characteristics of CWD decomposition in Larix gmelinii forests over the 33 years following a fire in the Greater Khingan Mountains.The results show that the decay rate of coarse woody debris was positively correlated to decay class.The average decomposition rate was 0.019,and 41 years and 176 years are needed for a 50%and 95%mass loss,respectively.CWD nutrient content,density,and water content could explain the variance in the decay rate(~42%)of the decay factors such as amount of leaching,degree of fragmentation,respiration of the debris,and biotransformation,and varied significantly between different decay classes.Using the space-time substitution method,this study arranged the coarse woody debris of different mortality times to form a 33 year chronosequence which revealed the decomposition process.It was concluded that the decay rate was mainly explained by structural component of the debris and its nitrogen and water contents.This paper quantifies the indicators affecting CWD decay to explain the decomposition process.