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Ansley et al. 2006
Ansley, R.J., Boutton, T.W. and Skjemstad, J.O. (2006). Soil organic carbon and black carbon storage and dynamics under different fire regimes in temperate mixed-grass savanna. Global Biogeochemical Cycles 20: doi: 10.1029/2005GB002670. issn: 0886-6236.

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 δ13C of SOC suggested that increased soil C in summer fire treatments was related to shifts in community composition toward greater relative productivity by C3 species. Lower δ15N 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.

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Abstract

Keywords
Biogeosciences, Carbon cycling, Biogeosciences, Ecosystems, structure and dynamics, Biogeosciences, Nitrogen cycling
Journal
Global Biogeochemical Cycles
http://www.agu.org/journals/gb/
Publisher
American Geophysical Union
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