Journal
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT
Volume 51, Issue 6, Pages 1164-1173Publisher
SPRINGER
DOI: 10.1007/s00267-013-0044-6
Keywords
Prescribed burning; Soil properties; Eucalypt plantation; N cycling
Categories
Funding
- National Basic Research Program of China [2011CB403200]
- National Natural Science Foundation of China [30870442]
- NSFC-Guangdong Joint Project [U1131001]
- Guangdong Natural Science Foundation [S2011040005712]
- Knowledge Innovation Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences [KSCX2-EW-J-28]
- Chinese Academy of Sciences [XDA05070307]
- Guangdong Forestry Innovation Project [2012KJCX013-02]
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Prescribed fire is a common site preparation practice in forest management in southern China. However, the effect of fire on soil properties and N transformations is still poorly understood in this region. In this study, soil properties and N transformations in burned and unburned site of two vegetation types (Eucalyptus plantation and shrubland) were compared in rainy and dry seasons after 2 years' prescribed fire. Soil pH and soil NH4-N were all higher in the burned site compared to the unburned control. Furthermore, burned sites had 30-40 % lower of soil total phosphorus than conspecific unburned sites. There was no difference in soil organic matter, total N, soil exchangeable cations, available P or NO3-N. Nitrogen mineralization rate of 0-5 cm soil in the unburned site ranged from 8.24 to 11.6 mg N kg(-1) soil month(-1) in the rainy season, compared to a lower level of 4.82-5.25 mg N kg(-1) soil month(-1) in the burned sites. In contrast, 0-5 cm layer nitrification rate was overall 2.47 mg N kg(-1) soil month(-1) in the rainy season, and was not significantly affected by burning. The reduced understory vegetation coverage after burning may be responsible for the higher soil NH4-N in the burned site. This study highlights that a better understanding the effect of prescribed burning on soil nutrients cycling would provide a critical foundation for management decision and be beneficial to afforestation in southern China.
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