Effects of moderate forest fires on soil organic carbon density in secondary forests of Pinus massoniana

doi:10.17521/cjpe.2020.0084

Abstract

Abstract:

Aims As a discontinuous disturbance factor, forest fire is one of the drivers of biogeochemical cycles. It significantly changes the structure and function, nutrient cycling, and energy transfer of ecosystems and alters the forest carbon pools and carbon distribution patterns, consequently affecting the processes of forest succession and carbon sequestration capacity. This study aims to determine the impacts of incidental forest fire on soil organic carbon density, and to explore the mechanisms of forest fire impacts on soil organic carbon fixation.
Methods The study was conducted in secondary Pinus massoniana forests of different ages in Guangdong Province, using the method of space for time substitution. The sampling plots were set up on adjacent sites of burned and control stands, and soil samples (0-60 cm) were collected from each plot for indoor tests and analysis of the physical and chemical properties. The soil organic carbon components were measured and calculated for density. Changes in soil physical and chemical properties and soil organic carbon with forest ages were quantified.
Important findings Fire reduced the soil organic carbon density in secondary P. massoniana forests; the level of reduction in soil organic carbon density decreased with forest age and soil depth. Compared with the controls, the soil organic carbon density in the burned plots of young, mid-age and mature forests were 10.93%, 8.52% and 7.56% lower, respectively. The soil organic carbon density in the burned plots of young, mid-age and mature forests varied in the range of 5.04-7.76, 5.26-10.27 and 6.33-13.58 t·hm^-2, respectively, along the soil profile of 0-60 cm, which were 2.51%-16.83%, 1.31%-11.85% and 1.09%-12.50% lower, respectively, than the controls. Fire significantly reduced the soil organic carbon density of the young and the mid-age forests in the 0-30 cm soil layer, and of the mature forest in the 0-20 cm soil layer. There were significant correlations between soil organic carbon density and soil physical and chemical properties. Path analysis revealed the greatest direct effect of soil total nitrogen content on soil organic carbon density in both the control and burned plots; fine root biomass had a smaller direct effect, but imposed an indirect effect on soil organic carbon density via its controls on soil total nitrogen content. Nested ANOVA showed that soil depth accounted for 70.60% of the variations in soil organic carbon density, forest age 25.35%, and fire 2.34%.

Key words: forest fire, secondary forest of Pinus massoniana, soil organic carbon, different forest ages, influence mechanism

LUO Si-Sheng, LUO Bi-Zhen, WEI Shu-Jing, HU Hai-Qing, LI Xiao-Chuan, WU Ze-Peng, WANG Zhen-Shi, ZHOU Yu-Fei, ZHONG Ying-Xia. Effects of moderate forest fires on soil organic carbon density in secondary forests of Pinus massoniana[J]. Chin J Plant Ecol, 2020, 44(10): 1073-1086.

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Figures/Tables 11

References 54

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龄组 Age group	样地类型 Plot type	平均年龄 Average age (a)	林分密度(株·hm^-2) Tree density (individual·hm^-2)	郁闭度 Canopy coverage	平均胸径 Average DBH (cm)	平均树高 Average tree height (m)	坡度 Slope (°)	坡位 Slope position	坡向 Aspect	海拔 Altitude (m)
幼龄林 Young forest	对照 CK	8	1 647	0.85	8.34	6.27	10-25	中部 Middle part	阳坡 Sunny slope	48
幼龄林 Young forest	过火 Postfire forest	8	1 632	0.85	8.25	6.75	15-25			52
中龄林 Mid-age forest	对照 CK	17	1 107	0.75	10.71	9.35	15-25			59
中龄林 Mid-age forest	过火 Postfire forest	17	1 047	0.75	10.85	9.14	20-30			75
成熟林 Mature forest	对照 CK	31	817	0.70	17.24	15.24	20-35			64
成熟林 Mature forest	过火 Postfire forest	31	796	0.70	17.43	15.62	20-30			65

龄组 Age group	样地类型 Plot type	平均年龄 Average age (a)	林分密度(株·hm^-2) Tree density (individual·hm^-2)	郁闭度 Canopy coverage	平均胸径 Average DBH (cm)	平均树高 Average tree height (m)	坡度 Slope (°)	坡位 Slope position	坡向 Aspect	海拔 Altitude (m)
幼龄林 Young forest	对照 CK	8	1 647	0.85	8.34	6.27	10-25	中部 Middle part	阳坡 Sunny slope	48
幼龄林 Young forest	过火 Postfire forest	8	1 632	0.85	8.25	6.75	15-25			52
中龄林 Mid-age forest	对照 CK	17	1 107	0.75	10.71	9.35	15-25			59
中龄林 Mid-age forest	过火 Postfire forest	17	1 047	0.75	10.85	9.14	20-30			75
成熟林 Mature forest	对照 CK	31	817	0.70	17.24	15.24	20-35			64
成熟林 Mature forest	过火 Postfire forest	31	796	0.70	17.43	15.62	20-30			65

龄组 Age group	样地类型 Plot type	土层 Soil layer (cm)
龄组 Age group	样地类型 Plot type	0-10	10-20	20-30	30-40	40-60
幼龄林 Young forest	对照 CK	3.10 ± 0.20	2.25 ± 0.12	1.48 ± 0.09	0.79 ± 0.06	0.21 ± 0.01
幼龄林 Young forest	过火 Postfire forest	2.30 ± 0.16	1.83 ± 0.10	1.30 ± 0.09	0.76 ± 0.04	0.19 ± 0.01
中龄林 Mid-age forest	对照 CK	4.51 ± 0.31	3.12 ± 0.20	2.18 ± 0.13	1.02 ± 0.08	0.32 ± 0.02
中龄林 Mid-age forest	过火 Postfire forest	3.22 ± 0.21	2.45 ± 0.18	1.86 ± 0.12	0.98 ± 0.07	0.30 ± 0.02
成熟林 Mature forest	对照 CK	5.13 ± 0.29	3.24 ± 0.16	2.53 ± 0.15	1.18 ± 0.08	0.34 ± 0.02
成熟林 Mature forest	过火 Postfire forest	3.14 ± 0.18	2.38 ± 0.16	2.06 ± 0.10	1.05 ± 0.07	0.29 ± 0.02

龄组 Age group	样地类型 Plot type	土层 Soil layer (cm)
龄组 Age group	样地类型 Plot type	0-10	10-20	20-30	30-40	40-60
幼龄林 Young forest	对照 CK	3.10 ± 0.20	2.25 ± 0.12	1.48 ± 0.09	0.79 ± 0.06	0.21 ± 0.01
幼龄林 Young forest	过火 Postfire forest	2.30 ± 0.16	1.83 ± 0.10	1.30 ± 0.09	0.76 ± 0.04	0.19 ± 0.01
中龄林 Mid-age forest	对照 CK	4.51 ± 0.31	3.12 ± 0.20	2.18 ± 0.13	1.02 ± 0.08	0.32 ± 0.02
中龄林 Mid-age forest	过火 Postfire forest	3.22 ± 0.21	2.45 ± 0.18	1.86 ± 0.12	0.98 ± 0.07	0.30 ± 0.02
成熟林 Mature forest	对照 CK	5.13 ± 0.29	3.24 ± 0.16	2.53 ± 0.15	1.18 ± 0.08	0.34 ± 0.02
成熟林 Mature forest	过火 Postfire forest	3.14 ± 0.18	2.38 ± 0.16	2.06 ± 0.10	1.05 ± 0.07	0.29 ± 0.02

土层 Soil layer (cm)	幼龄林 Young forest				中龄林 Mid-age forest				成熟林 Mature forest
	Levene检验 Levene test		t检验 t test		Levene检验 Levene test		t检验 t test		Levene检验 Levene test		t检验 t test
	F	p	t	p	F	p	t	p	F	p	t	p
0-10	2.811	0.169	13.919	0.001	0.205	0.674	10.450	0.001	2.058	0.225	11.801	0.001
10-20	1.556	0.280	20.485	0.001	2.593	0.183	17.768	0.001	0.513	0.514	9.736	0.001
20-30	0.517	0.512	23.744	0.001	5.343	0.082	37.536	0.001	0.150	0.718	2.618	>0.05
30-40	1.726	0.259	2.561	>0.05	0.755	0.434	1.968	>0.05	4.344	0.106	2.657	>0.05
40-60	4.595	0.099	1.334	>0.05	2.683	0.177	1.681	>0.05	3.099	0.153	1.786	>0.05