Fire increases the risk of higher soil N2O emissions from Mediterranean Macchia ecosystems

K. Karhu; M. Dannenmann; B. Kitzler; E. Diaz-Pines; J. Tejedor; D. A. Ramirez; A. Parra; V. Resco de Dios; J. M. Moreno; A. Rubio; L. Guimaraes-Povoas; S. Zechmeister-Boitenstern; K. Butterbach-Bahl; Per Lennart Ambus

doi:10.1016/j.soilbio.2014.12.013

Fire increases the risk of higher soil N₂O emissions from Mediterranean Macchia ecosystems

K. Karhu, M. Dannenmann, B. Kitzler, E. Diaz-Pines, J. Tejedor, D. A. Ramirez, A. Parra, V. Resco de Dios, J. M. Moreno, A. Rubio, L. Guimaraes-Povoas, S. Zechmeister-Boitenstern, K. Butterbach-Bahl, Per Lennart Ambus

10 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Intensification of droughts under climate change is projected to increase fire frequency in the Mediterranean region. Fires cause direct emission of greenhouse gases (GHG) such as carbon dioxide (CO₂) and nitrous oxide (N₂O), due to the combustion of organic matter, creating a positive feedback on climate change. However, the potential importance of indirect GHG emissions due to changes in soil biological and chemical properties after fire is less well known. Increased soil mineral nitrogen (N) concentrations after fire pose a risk for increased emissions of gaseous N, but studies on the post-fire N₂O production and soil N turnover rates (mineralization, nitrification, microbial immobilization, denitrification) are still rare. We determined N₂O production, rates of N turnover and pathways for N₂O production from the soil of burned and unburned plots of a Macchia shrubland in central Spain using a ¹⁵N labelling approach. Measurements were initiated before the controlled burning and continued for up to half a year after fire. Fire markedly increased the risk of N₂O emissions from soil through denitrification (N₂O production rate was 3 to ≈30 times higher in burned soils compared to control, with N₂O being produced solely from soil nitrate). In contrast, soil gross N cycling rates were not accelerated after fire. Thus, the increased N₂O production was not closely linked with N mineralization, but may be explained by increased mineral N availability from ash, increased pH in burned plots, and less competition for available N and C sources due to absence of plants.

Original language	English
Journal	Soil Biology & Biochemistry
Volume	82
Pages (from-to)	44-51
Number of pages	8
ISSN	0038-0717
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2014.12.013
Publication status	Published - 1 Mar 2015
Externally published	Yes

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Cite this

Karhu, K., Dannenmann, M., Kitzler, B., Diaz-Pines, E., Tejedor, J., Ramirez, D. A., Parra, A., Resco de Dios, V., Moreno, J. M., Rubio, A., Guimaraes-Povoas, L., Zechmeister-Boitenstern, S., Butterbach-Bahl, K., & Ambus, P. L. (2015). Fire increases the risk of higher soil N₂O emissions from Mediterranean Macchia ecosystems. Soil Biology & Biochemistry, 82, 44-51. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2014.12.013

Karhu, K, Dannenmann, M, Kitzler, B, Diaz-Pines, E, Tejedor, J, Ramirez, DA, Parra, A, Resco de Dios, V, Moreno, JM, Rubio, A, Guimaraes-Povoas, L, Zechmeister-Boitenstern, S, Butterbach-Bahl, K & Ambus, PL 2015, 'Fire increases the risk of higher soil N₂O emissions from Mediterranean Macchia ecosystems', Soil Biology & Biochemistry, vol. 82, pp. 44-51. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.soilbio.2014.12.013

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abstract = "Intensification of droughts under climate change is projected to increase fire frequency in the Mediterranean region. Fires cause direct emission of greenhouse gases (GHG) such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrous oxide (N2O), due to the combustion of organic matter, creating a positive feedback on climate change. However, the potential importance of indirect GHG emissions due to changes in soil biological and chemical properties after fire is less well known. Increased soil mineral nitrogen (N) concentrations after fire pose a risk for increased emissions of gaseous N, but studies on the post-fire N2O production and soil N turnover rates (mineralization, nitrification, microbial immobilization, denitrification) are still rare. We determined N2O production, rates of N turnover and pathways for N2O production from the soil of burned and unburned plots of a Macchia shrubland in central Spain using a 15N labelling approach. Measurements were initiated before the controlled burning and continued for up to half a year after fire. Fire markedly increased the risk of N2O emissions from soil through denitrification (N2O production rate was 3 to ≈30 times higher in burned soils compared to control, with N2O being produced solely from soil nitrate). In contrast, soil gross N cycling rates were not accelerated after fire. Thus, the increased N2O production was not closely linked with N mineralization, but may be explained by increased mineral N availability from ash, increased pH in burned plots, and less competition for available N and C sources due to absence of plants.",

author = "K. Karhu and M. Dannenmann and B. Kitzler and E. Diaz-Pines and J. Tejedor and Ramirez, {D. A.} and A. Parra and {Resco de Dios}, V. and Moreno, {J. M.} and A. Rubio and L. Guimaraes-Povoas and S. Zechmeister-Boitenstern and K. Butterbach-Bahl and Ambus, {Per Lennart}",

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AU - Karhu, K.

AU - Dannenmann, M.

AU - Kitzler, B.

AU - Diaz-Pines, E.

AU - Tejedor, J.

AU - Ramirez, D. A.

AU - Parra, A.

AU - Resco de Dios, V.

AU - Moreno, J. M.

AU - Rubio, A.

AU - Guimaraes-Povoas, L.

AU - Zechmeister-Boitenstern, S.

AU - Butterbach-Bahl, K.

AU - Ambus, Per Lennart

PY - 2015/3/1

Y1 - 2015/3/1

N2 - Intensification of droughts under climate change is projected to increase fire frequency in the Mediterranean region. Fires cause direct emission of greenhouse gases (GHG) such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrous oxide (N2O), due to the combustion of organic matter, creating a positive feedback on climate change. However, the potential importance of indirect GHG emissions due to changes in soil biological and chemical properties after fire is less well known. Increased soil mineral nitrogen (N) concentrations after fire pose a risk for increased emissions of gaseous N, but studies on the post-fire N2O production and soil N turnover rates (mineralization, nitrification, microbial immobilization, denitrification) are still rare. We determined N2O production, rates of N turnover and pathways for N2O production from the soil of burned and unburned plots of a Macchia shrubland in central Spain using a 15N labelling approach. Measurements were initiated before the controlled burning and continued for up to half a year after fire. Fire markedly increased the risk of N2O emissions from soil through denitrification (N2O production rate was 3 to ≈30 times higher in burned soils compared to control, with N2O being produced solely from soil nitrate). In contrast, soil gross N cycling rates were not accelerated after fire. Thus, the increased N2O production was not closely linked with N mineralization, but may be explained by increased mineral N availability from ash, increased pH in burned plots, and less competition for available N and C sources due to absence of plants.

AB - Intensification of droughts under climate change is projected to increase fire frequency in the Mediterranean region. Fires cause direct emission of greenhouse gases (GHG) such as carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrous oxide (N2O), due to the combustion of organic matter, creating a positive feedback on climate change. However, the potential importance of indirect GHG emissions due to changes in soil biological and chemical properties after fire is less well known. Increased soil mineral nitrogen (N) concentrations after fire pose a risk for increased emissions of gaseous N, but studies on the post-fire N2O production and soil N turnover rates (mineralization, nitrification, microbial immobilization, denitrification) are still rare. We determined N2O production, rates of N turnover and pathways for N2O production from the soil of burned and unburned plots of a Macchia shrubland in central Spain using a 15N labelling approach. Measurements were initiated before the controlled burning and continued for up to half a year after fire. Fire markedly increased the risk of N2O emissions from soil through denitrification (N2O production rate was 3 to ≈30 times higher in burned soils compared to control, with N2O being produced solely from soil nitrate). In contrast, soil gross N cycling rates were not accelerated after fire. Thus, the increased N2O production was not closely linked with N mineralization, but may be explained by increased mineral N availability from ash, increased pH in burned plots, and less competition for available N and C sources due to absence of plants.

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DO - 10.1016/j.soilbio.2014.12.013

M3 - Journal article

SN - 0038-0717

VL - 82

SP - 44

EP - 51

JO - Soil Biology & Biochemistry

JF - Soil Biology & Biochemistry