Surface wildfires in central Amazonia: Short-term impact on forest structure and carbon loss

Haugaasen, Torbjørn, Barlow, Jos and Peres, Carlos A. ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1588-8765 (2003) Surface wildfires in central Amazonia: Short-term impact on forest structure and carbon loss. Forest Ecology and Management, 179 (1-3). pp. 321-331.

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Abstract

Changes in forest structure were examined 10-15 months after an unprecedented understorey wildfire burnt previously undisturbed primary forest in central Brazilian Amazonia, following the severe 1997-1998 El Niño dry season. On the basis of 20 0.25 ha plots (10 m x 250 m) in both burnt and unburnt forest, we found marked differences in the overall live biomass, canopy openness and understorey vegetation. On average, 36% of all trees equal to or greater than 10 cm DBH were found to be dead in the burnt forest, and there was also a near-complete mortality in all pre-burn saplings. Using an allometric equation to predict biomass mortality we estimate that the tree mortality rates found would commit an additional 25.5 t C/ha to be released from these BFs. The dramatic increase of aboveground dead biomass in BF is of major global concern because of the increased flux of CO2 to the atmosphere, which has a role in enhancing the greenhouse effect and promoting climate change.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	sdg 13 - climate action ,/dk/atira/pure/sustainabledevelopmentgoals/climate_action
Faculty \ School:	Faculty of Science > School of Environmental Sciences University of East Anglia Research Groups/Centres > Theme - ClimateUEA
UEA Research Groups:	Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Environmental Biology Faculty of Science > Research Centres > Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Faculty of Science > Research Groups > Resources, Sustainability and Governance (former - to 2018)
Depositing User:	Rosie Cullington
Date Deposited:	04 Jul 2011 13:43
Last Modified:	20 Mar 2023 14:36
URI:	https://ueaeprints.uea.ac.uk/id/eprint/33290
DOI:	10.1016/S0378-1127(02)00548-0

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